Keeping Secrets
by SummerTimeBacon
Summary: Two wolves wander the world, lost. Toboe finds himself wandering blindly in the moonless dusk. A she-wolf also finds herself in solitary darkness, while the world coldly offers no comfort. She's been abandoned and betrayed by the only family she had. Then she saves him, and he lights up her world. But she disappears. Toboe is distraught. They must meet again, for Paradise.
1. Unlikely Coincidences

_I actually wrote this on my last account, MisakiTheShadowWolf, but I couldn't upload any new chapters so I gave up on it. Please read and review guys! I hope you enjoy and ill start writing a new chapter ASAP, thanks! ^-^_

_BTW: This story is dedicated to Kira Fantome, a good friend and exceptional writer. Please check out her stories, their brilliant! Thanks, I'm out!_

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The sky was murky and littered with ominous clouds beyond the domes curved walls, hinting that a thunderstorm was not far away. Toboe shivered, though he was not sure whether it was from cold or fear. Toboe was slumped against a crumbling wall, not bothering to disguise himself as human. He was 14 years old now, and he hadn't seen the pack or scented Cheza since they had been reincarnated. His fluffy maroon tail wagged slightly at the fond memories of his friends, but the discerning weather did not help to lift his dismal mood. Although he had lost count of how many times they had been reincarnated, the journey was always full of excitement and adventure, but threaded with danger and treachery, an intense web of friendship, burdens and secrets.

Toboe's stomach made an angry growling noise, and he clutched it in pain. It had been 11 days-nearly a full fortnight- since he had last eaten; and that was a measly loaf of bread that had been stale and mouldy at one end. He had spotted it rotting slowly in a bin, but it was horded by a flock of nasty crows. He had triumphed and escaped with the food, but not without gaining a few deep scratches and violent peck marks. Toboe hauled himself to his paws, shuffling slowly towards the precipitous stairs that crumbled from years of neglect, but were-for now- the only accessible way downstairs. Toboe muttered something unintelligible under his breath, his ears flattened in frustration, shouldering the pasty wall for support as he descended. When he reached the bottom, something very interesting stole the attention of Toboe's nose. He was about to follow it when he remembered to hastily change his form to human figure. He had dark green cargo pants that were smudged with dirt, and a worn out red jacket that overlapped a plain black shirt. His boots were reasonably in a decent condition, but the seams were tattered and peeling.

Toboe peered through a crude hole in the brickwork, and observed a small fire feebly spitting embers at five silhouetted shapes that were clustered around it, their faces overshadowed by the flickering flames. Toboe felt a niggling sensation in his gut, although this time it was not hunger, but curiosity. Stealthily, Toboe slipped out of the temporary home he had situated himself in, creeping amongst the shadows until he was a few mere feet behind one of the mysterious figures. With a jolt of realisation Toboe noticed the person sitting in front of him had silver hair, which was tied back into a scrawny ponytail with a rubber band. Toboe shifted his form and wagged his tail gleefully. _Tsume! _Toboe growled playfully in greeting at his old friend, but when 'Tsume' turned around, Toboe felt a pang of horror that made him gag; this man was definitely _not_ Tsume. This man was terrifying, with, with so many scars that criss-crossed his face he resembled the lightning struck bark of a hollowed tree. He was heavily built, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles, and resentful, gleaming eyes of the darkest grey, they were almost black. His black jacket was unblemished, but rips had been infliction into the fabric for effect, he was bare-chested and with a necklace of...teeth? Toboe was unable to ponder any further before he was seized and dragged off the ground.

"What 'ave we 'ere? A stray little pup eh?" The man laughed cruelly, hoisting Toboe further into air, his blunt nails digging into the skin underneath Toboe's scruff. Toboe squeaked meekly, trying hopelessly to wriggle out of the man's steel grip. But hunger made Toboe weak, and this man was relentless. From that moment Toboe hated the man with a fierce passion that burned through his body and gave him strength. Before Toboe could unleash his revenge another figure from the fire stood up and made his way over to Toboe, his small pupils flickering restlessly from side to side as though he felt he was being watched. He was draped in a long black cloak that obscured his whole hunched form, but he limped slightly on his left leg as he walked. Toboe felt his anger drain away and was once again replaced by irritating curiosity.

"Be careful, Scar." Limping man breathed heavily into the taller man's ear. "You know full well what he is."

"A wolf? This little thing? Impossible!" The man named Scar laughed scornfully, mocking Toboe viciously. Toboe felt the paroxysm of rage once again as it boiled his blood and he snapped at Scars wrist, feeling the satisfaction of crunching through bone and tasting the metallic tang of his enemy's blood. In shock Scar threw Toboe down onto the concrete floor with a sickening thud. Toboe whimpered in agony as he realised he couldn't feel his left back leg. When he craned his neck to scrutinize it, he saw that it was twisted unnaturally, blood seeping from the wound. It was broken, badly.

"YOU LITTLE RUNT! I'LL KILL YOU!" Scar made a move toward Toboe, but Limping man placed a calloused hand on his shoulder, holding him back. Scar glared at him, but the man either didn't notice, or disregarded it.

"What are you doing?" Scar hissed in Limping man's face, spraying spittle on his black cloak.

"Now you've done it." Limping man glanced over to Toboe, his expression passive and unreadable. He carried on without waiting for Scar to reply. "We could have sold him to Jagara! Now you've damaged him he's not worth jack!"

"Why can't I kill him then?" Scar snarled; his eyes bright with fury. Toboe cringed at the blood lust that swirled in his slate-grey eyes.

"Because," Limping man started, but was cut off by a low growl. Both men turned to Toboe, who was equally puzzled. _I didn't growl, did I? _Toboe thought in confusion. Scar stretched a smile over his disfigured face, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"If it wasn't you, there must be another." Scar scanned the darkness, hoping to reveal another wolf obscured by the concealing shadows. Toboe watched the shadows around him too, but he couldn't discern anything clearly. Suddenly silent, the atmosphere became eerie and desolate. Without warning, a dainty blue-black wolf separated itself from the shadows of the abandoned building Toboe had been resting in minutes before. Toboe inhaled deeply, wondering why he hadn't scented the strange wolf before. Then it hit him. _It's a...She-wolf! _They were quite rare, and Toboe hadn't scented one in his 14 years of living in the city. She stepped out into the firelight, and Toboe drew a sharp intake of breath. Her sleek fur shone majestically, as though she were part of the shadows herself; she was almost all a rich blue-black, but the tips of her ears and tail were a dark ginger. Something silver was glinting by her ear, but Toboe couldn't make it out. She stood proudly, but was a little smaller than Toboe so he guessed she was around the same age.

"There you are. Be a good wolfie and don't cause us any trouble, or you'll end up like him." Scar indicated Toboe over his shoulder with a jerk of his thumb, the wicked grin on his face growing even wider. The she-wolf looked at Toboe, her jade coloured eyes brimming with empathy and rage. She changed her form into a human, which, to Toboe, was even more beautiful. She wore khaki shorts that reached halfway down her thighs, with black knee-length socks, a small black tank top that showed a little of her flat stomach, and some worn purple walking boots that were worn around the edges. She wore a loose green jacket over the top, and she sported silver butterfly earrings that glittered in the dim light of the minute blaze. As Toboe predicted, she was around 14. She bore her teeth in a violent snarl, and she narrowed her viridian shaded eyes in hatred.

"Let him go." The request was short, yet filled with spitting rage of the deepest hate. Toboe cringed slightly, wondering what she would do when they refused. _When? So much for positive thinking Toboe, _Toboe thought angrily. Why couldn't anything go right? For him life was always hard, but the pack was always there for him. Now there was no pack, just a raucous gang and one small she-wolf surrounding him.

"What'cha gonna do? Bite my ankles?" Scar and the rest of his disciples laughed uproariously. The girl bristled in anger, and only then Toboe noticed Limping man had disappeared.

"Not quite." Came a reply dripping with venom, holding a powerful taste of authority Toboe was sure even Tsume would take notice of. _Tsume... _The girl shape shifted back into her wolf form and tensed her shoulders. Even Scar looked apprehensive.

"I'm going to kill you."

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_YAY! First chapter over, please review if you have the time and tell me how I did! I need constructive criticism, not complaints. Tell me if you like it and whether I should carry on, thanks guys! ^-^_


	2. Changing Seasons

"Not quite." Came a reply dripping with venom, holding a powerful taste of authority Toboe was sure even Tsume would take notice of. _Tsume... _The girl shape shifted back into her wolf form and tensed her shoulders. Even Scar looked apprehensive.

"I'm going to kill you."

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I paused, wondering whether he was going to take my threat seriously. There was a brief silence before Scar burst into a bought of nervous laughter. The other gang members exchanged concerned glances, but didn't say anything.

"Oh, really?" Scar made a step toward the Red wolf, but paused when I moved to parallel his indication. He grinned wildly and his eyes become wild with a joyful vexation. "Try it, runt."

The insult lit a raging fire in my gut, and I leapt forwards, swerving to dodge a gang member's feeble attack. I skidded as I landed, and suddenly realised I was cornered by the fire and a dilapidated brick wall. The 3 gang members surrounded me, Scar grinning maniacally from beyond the embers, and my heart began to race as I considered my options. 4_ full grown men against me? I don't think that's fair..._I was about to give up when I caught the eye of the young Red wolf watching me through the flames, as though entranced by the event. His golden eyes seemed far away, bright with pain yet healthy with youth. His coat however, deemed otherwise. I could count all of his ribs poking from a thin pelt of matted ochre fur, and his tail was dull and greasy. I felt a pang of ruefulness, and it gave me a new fire in my veins.

I leapt back into battle, thoroughly enjoying the expiration and exhilaration through my whole body. I grinned as I heard the crunch of bones and the rich blood rush down my gullet, but was constantly aware of Scars penetrating stare and shifty movements.I snarled maliciously as I reared backwards and crunched down on a man's wrist. He screamed and stumbled into the shadows, before his footsteps faded as he fled down the dingy alleyway. The other two paused, rethinking their actions briefly as they scrutinised me.

"What are you doing? Kill her!" Scar boomed his order to his followers, and they hastily jumped into action. While one attempted to attack me, the other pulled out a small knife and was waiting for his chance to strike. Scar, meanwhile, slithered down a dingy alleyway, his demoniac smirk still imprinted in my peripheral vision; haunting my every move. I emitted a low growl that reverberated throughout the concrete paving and layers of brick shacks, and a flock of pearly fantailed doves took flight into the darkening sky. A few minutes passed, leaving one man bleeding on the harsh ground, his neck ripped open and still spurting crimson bursts. The other man was still circling me, half-blind due to a gaping wound above his left eye. He had sustained considerable injuries, a deep slash in his right forearm, and a few chunks of flesh missing where my teeth had found their mark. We circled around the fire more times than I could count, before his knees finally buckled and he crashed into the dust, lifeless. I raised my gaze to the young wolf beside me, but his eyes were faraway and glazed. I sighed contentedly; satisfied I had protected this pup. _Saying that, he's older than me...but he definitely doesn't look it. Poor thing. _I sat down, relaxed my taut shoulders and yawned drowsily. Everything seemed tranquil and peaceful, the rhythmic breathing of the wolf beside me. _It all seemed ...right. Almost as though, we were meant to be here..._ I sighed and rested my head on my paws, my eyelids turning to lead.

I was shocked when I felt the cold, dull metal of a gun barrel press against my temple.

"See ya, runt."

I realised it was Scar, and it dawned on me I was about to die. I closed my eyes and let my tail lay still on the begrimed floor. _It's been fun, a tenacious ride but, a rollercoaster all the same. Good luck kid, and may the moonlight show your path to Paradise..._

The gunshot rang throughout the courtyard, vibrating along all the corridors that twisted and turned; splitting off from each other and consequently creating a labyrinth of dark alleyways that could behold any danger, but that danger that did reside, surely withdrew from their posts and hid at the sound of the fire.

Scar was shaking, and he dropped to his knees; clutching his right wrist. The gun fell to the floor with a clatter. I stood, my tail quivering, blood dripping to the floor in deafening drops. The she-wolf kneeled beside me, her emerald eyes wide with shock, her ginger-tipped ears flattened against her head. I turned to comfort her, pressing my pelt against hers for support. She locked eyes with me, fear, empathy and concern swirling in those depthless green eyes.

"Are you okay?" She said in a shaky voice, and I tentatively licked her ear, smiling sheepishly to cover my embarrassment.

"I'm fine, I think-" I tried to stand, but my legs gave out and I collapsed onto the floor with a thud. The she-wolf stooped lower, trying to encourage me to stand up; but I couldn't muster the strength to rise to my paws. A gasping Scar interrupted my thoughts, his cold, icy grey eyes bloodshot and accusing.

"What are you? How did you-how could you?" He still clutched his wrist, but now his sleeve was drenched in clotted blood. When he removed his hand to point a jurisdictional pale finger at us, I saw his hand was missing. All that remained was a bloody stump, still bleeding freely from the fresh wound.

"Where's your hand gone? Did I tear it off by accident?" The she-wolf laughed cruelly, her eyes alight with passionate...blood-lust? It certainly appeared so, with fresh blood dripping from her teeth and curved, thorn-sharp claws extended. I shivered, my tail involuntarily brushing against one of her back paws. She turned to me; no longer remained the caring, beautiful green eyes that had perceived me with such worry moments ago, now what remained was burning orbs of violent lime, hatred and expiration evident.

Suddenly her image blurred, and the outline of her head became hazy and unclear. Lines and dots swam across my vision, but when I tried to focus on them, they danced away; out of my range. Then the world changed to charcoal black and I passed out.

The informative ring of the _Silver Stallions _pub bell attracted the attention of the two twin waitress', Autumn and Summer. They were both 18, though Summer was older by roughly 2 minutes. They had waist length strawberry blonde hair, both in fish-tail styled plaits that curled round their heads on different sides, Summer's plait was on the right, Autumn's on the left. Their bright blue eyes sparkled in cheery unison, and their cheeky smiles were identical and carefree; as it would appear to strangers or customers.

"Hi there! Welcome to the-"

"-_Silver Stallions_ public house!" Both twins' jovial smiles fell when they witnessed what stumbled through the ancient oak doorway. A dainty girl in her early teens was dragging a huge, brownish dog with great difficulty, her brow knitted together in furious concentration. The twins rushed forward to help her, but Autumn hesitated when she saw the gleaming fangs and razor claws stained crimson. Summer threw her a puzzled look over her shoulder, but said nothing. Autumn shook herself and grabbed the dogs hindquarters; and between the twins help and the young girl, they managed to haul the limp body into the old storage room, which had been refurbished to the twins own particular taste of contradicting seasons.

Summer's corner of the room was overrun with bright, rare flowers, and metal geckos decorated the walls; which were artistically painted using all shades of green, (plus splodges or red) and cleverly given the illusion of a rainforest canopy. All her cushions and bed sheets were dark green, with splashes of grey. There was an open drawing pad with a few random sketches lying askew on one of the pillows.

Meanwhile, Autumn's corner was painted with warm browns and reddish-orange leaves that seemed to fall onto the golden ground. She had a small cutting of a red Acer in a glass plant pot, and it showed how the roots dug below the surface and situated themselves where the nutrients were richest. Her cushions and bed sheets were vivid maroon and flecked with patches of intense, yet cheerful, bronze.

The rest of the room was occupied by a miniature kitchen; consisting of a microwave, cooker and sink, a small settee, decent sized flat screen television mounted on the wall opposite the kitchen. The room was decorated extravagantly, and all the artwork indicated it was done by a professional, though it had a childish hint that indicated it was the work of a blossoming artist. There were a few dirty dishes and cups on the counter in the kitchen, but everything else seemed sanitary and generally hygienic.

The twins rested the huge brown dog on the fluffy, padded rug in front of the settee, and stepped back to examine the younger girl. Summer broke into a huge grin and grabbed her wrists, swinging her round until the girl, laughing, begged her to stop.

"Stop! Stop! I'm getting dizzy!" The girl closed her eyes and laughed, her initial shock worn off by Summers friendly gesture. Autumn smiled shyly when the girl turned to her, but hugged her whole-heartedly all the same.

"So, who's this handsome man...a new boyfriend perhaps?" Summer joked, and Autumn made a heart symbol with her hands. The girl shook her head vigorously, blushing a rich tomato red until she realised the twins were joking. She sighed, and her face became gravely serious.

"You know I told you there were more? More wolves I mean, and I came across him," The girl jerked her head toward Toboe and carried on, "I first saw him when I was patrolling the back alleys-like I always do- and I spotted a small fire and some men cooking beside it. I didn't notice him until I saw a huge bully of a man holding him up in the air before slamming him down onto the floor... I saw his back leg was broken, and I knew I had to do something so-" The girl continued to recall the rest of the story to the twins, Summer's face dropped and gained a concerned frown, while Autumn's intent expression never changed throughout the events telling. When the girl finished, her face was flushed and she was breathless, but she managed a weak smile nonetheless.

"That's...intriguing." Summer finally broke the silence with her awkward statement, but the younger girl seemed not to notice; she was transfixed, staring at the rapidly changing colour of the carpet. It was originally a pale cream, but now it was a vivid crimson. Summer kneeled beside the girl, with one arm round her shoulder and the other hand clutching hers. It was Toboe's back leg that was bleeding; the break was difficult and badly situated. Autumn rose, and made her way determinedly to the kitchen. There were sounds of cupboards being opened, and the tap running. She returned with a roll of fibreglass-otherwise known as Plaster of Paris- a wide brimmed brush, scissors and a cup filled with water.

"What _are _you doing, Autumn?" Summer threw her an exasperated look, though her body language was sparked with curiosity. Autumn narrowed her eyes and knelt beside Toboe, set down the water and proceeded to untie the fibreglass roll. She stretched out a length of it, and began cutting it into strips and piling it up besides her, all the while avoiding the gaze of her sister. The girl was still frozen, and she couldn't take her eyes away from the injury, her eyes were shiny and her hands clasped together. Summer realised what Autumn was about to do, and shook the girl beside her gently to recall her from her daydream. The girl blinked a few times before she turned to Summer, who smiled graciously and pulled her to her feet.

"Take her out Summer, go shopping or something."Autumn called after her sister as she was leaving the room, but looked up when she re-entered to collect her things. "We need milk, bread, and sugar really, but don't rush it; I'll need at least 2 hours, got it?"

"Sure."The reply was brisk and unfeeling, very unlike Summer. She was usually bouncy and extravagant, always an optimist in the harsh times. Autumn glancing at her sister, and saw tears streaming down her face, loose hairs stuck to her face and her slender form shaking violently. Autumn dropped her scissors and hurried over, deeply concerned and troubled by her sister's irregular behaviour. Summer never cried, never.

"Don't cry Summer, please." Autumn begged her sister and hugged her tight. She could feel tears welling up in her own eyes. She could feel her sister shaking as though she was freezing, and it scared her. She had a faint inkling of what had upset her sister so much, but it had happened so long ago...

"Its, it's just like-like when mum and dad-when they-" That was all her sister could manage before her throat closed up and fresh tears spilled over her thick eyelashes. So it had been _that _that had triggered her sister's emotional side.

When they were both adolescents-maybe 8 or 9- they lived with their parents in a small, 2 bedroom apartment near the city's outskirts. It was a brisk life, both their parents were hard workers, their mother travelled everyday to the city's town centre to attend her many cleaning jobs, their father worked further afar as a food transporter; and was often out of town for days on end, with no guarantee of return. So both girls were left alone for the majority of their childhood, and consequently formed an unbreakable bond.

One day neither their mother nor father returned, and the girls simply waited; they knew of nothing else to do. They stayed in their flat for 2 weeks before they sighted their parents. Summer had gone outside to hang up their washing in the blazing afternoon sun, and the gate squeaked open, revealing two battered, bruised and bleeding adults; weatherworn and dusty. Summer had hurried them inside, where Autumn had been calmly reading her book about biology. The scene unfolded, a tale told, but some secrets kept locked away in the twins hearts. Their father had succumbed to death first, passing out with all the dignity he could muster; their mother looking on helplessly while Autumn attempted to perform CPR on her dying father. The last words she uttered remained paralyzed in the sister's memory forever, the very reason they found reason to live.

"Go, go far away from here! But always remember the prophecy, the one written throughout the fabric of life itself, to prevent the world from ending."

"_Follow the moons purest path, and find the flower that shines in the darkest cave with the brightest light; the howling wind shall guide your path to Paradise."_

With those last words of a forgotten prophecy, the dying wolf bode her daughter's goodbye, and waited for death to claim her in its tantalizing icy grip. The twins concealed their identities as wolves for a decade, moving constantly from town to town; seeking information on the prophecy and living of odd jobs they cooperated with. It seemed that after so long, they themselves had forgotten their true heritage, and contentedly lived out their lives as normal humans. That is, until a certain, stubborn little pup stumbled right across their peaceful plans.

But that is the tale of another wolf, one to be left for another day, another chapter in the story of the world, and how it will end.

Summer finally looked up, drying her eyes and sighing heavily. Autumn was secretly relieved, she had never been the one to comfort the emotional, and usually it was the other way around.

"Hurry up, or she'll be suspicious." Autumn whispered gently to Summer.

"Is he, a, you know, a wolf?" Summer asked, her throat clearing and eyes less inflamed.

"Of course he is! But if he isn't, he's the biggest dog I've ever seen!" Autumn laughed and rose to her feet, extending a hand to her sister. Summer took the offer, and became serious as she collected her jacket and purse from the table. She paused, her back to Autumn.

"It's all changing, you know that right?" She said; a strong hint of disappointment in her tone. Her hands hung limp at her sides and her shoulder visibly sagged. Autumn was shocked a little, but quickly recovered and set back to her work; cutting up strips of fibreglass and piling them up.

"I know. I think we both understand that we can't live here anymore. We need to fulfil our mothers wish, and find Paradise." Autumn murmured softly, not revealing any detectable emotion in her voice.

"It's changing, just like the seasons." Summer whispered, barely traceable.

"Seems like we're finally living up to our names."

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Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! ^-^ Please review if you have any constructive criticism, but don't bother if it's a complaint T_Tll I promise to update as soon as I can, please stick with me, thanks and bye!


	3. Innocent Goddess

Hiya! I hoped you liked my last chapter, since it took me FOREVER. I've just finished my exams, so I should be able to update more frequently. Thanks again, -Azalea ^-^

Baka/Baka's= Stupid/idiot in Japanese

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The snow swirled around in a furious tornado, ripping budding plants apart and making small mammals cower in their burrows beneath the ice. The sky was a harsh slate grey, blurring the vertices of objects that glimmered like beacons in the distance. I made my way towards them, since everything else was devoid of life in the howling wasteland. The snow blinded me, lashing my eyes like a thousand minute whips. I couldn't hear anything above the raging wind, and small shards of stone that hid beneath the snow sliced my pads as I trudged onwards. My vision began to glaze over, and it dawned on me I could not carry on much longer. With a defiant snarl I ploughed on, my mind awake and whirring, but my muscles ablaze with fatigue. Then I collapsed, unable to encourage myself to rise and carry on into the never-ending blur of action beyond my small cocoon of sanctuary-which was actually just a few foot underneath the fresh snow. I sighed, closing my eyes and dreaming of beautiful, heavenly flowers that bloomed everywhere; silvery rivers sparkled as they gently ran their course. I found myself muttering, trying to comfort myself in the white darkness.

"They say there's no such thing, as Paradise. Even if you searched to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road, just goes on and on...But in spite of that, why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me, it says," I pause, hesitant despite the fact I was alone in the vicious wilderness.

"Search...for Paradise."

Summer strolled around town, the young girl shuffling solemnly a few feet behind. Her head was bowed, and in her wolf form Summer could see that her ears drooped and her tail dragged miserably along the grimy floor. Summer inwardly crumpled; there was nothing she could think of to break the awkward silence that hovered mocking between the two friends. A few minutes passed, countless shoppers passing by; monotonously going about their business without concern nor acknowledgement of the two disguised she-wolves sat a mere foot away. Suddenly Summer jumped up, crouching beside one of the many bags clustered around her ankles. She rooted through a few before producing a small package, handing it to the startled girl with a beaming smile. The girl accepted the gift gingerly; as though it was red hot and singed her fingers. She carefully unwrapped the pale purple paper, her eyes shining with genuine gratitude when she saw what it was. It wasn't to be considered a major gift, just a pair of earrings. Wolf heads. Wolf heads howling to a crescent moon, small diamante studded the edges and serving as the glistening eyes of the wolves. They were silver, nothing special. But the girl suddenly tensed up, her shoulders rigid and body frozen as though ice-cold. Her lower lip began to tremble, her eyes unnaturally shiny, hands shaking uncontrollably. Summer threw her arms around the girl, touched but confused. The girl buried her face into Summer's scarf, her sobs muffled by the thick material. A few passers-by looked on with little interest, but soon carried on walking.

"It's fine, let it all out. I'm here, it's okay," Summer whispered comfortingly, and laughed gently when the girl sniggered good-naturedly.

"Yeah, I'm totally happy you're here!" The girl teased, pulling away from Summer and wiping away a few salty tear stains from her cheeks. She stood up, stretched and offered a hand to Summer. Summer took it, grabbing a few bags and turning back the way they came, toward the _Silver Stallion_. The girl smiled cheerily and picked up the remaining bags, hurrying after Summer in an effort not to lose the girl in the ever-changing crowd.

After they had disappeared into the river of people, a large blue-black dog appeared in a darkened alleyway near the bench previously occupied by the two she-wolves. It had its long nose glued to the ground, and its ears perked up when it neared the bench. It sniffed all around for a few minutes, before sitting down pointedly. Waiting. A wizened old man- maybe 55-60+- stumbled from the alleyway the dog had emerged from minutes before. He clutched a bottle in one hand, a black briefcase in the other; a rifle slung haphazardly across his back. He was muttering under his breath, and a few passers-by swerved to avoid him, casting disgusted glances over their shoulders. He either didn't notice them, or chose to disregard their action. He dragged himself over to where the dog was sitting patiently, collapsing on the bench with a huge sigh of relief. He petted the dog absently, fiddling with the latch of his suitcase, flipping it from locked to unlocked, locked to unlocked, locked...

"They here, Blue?" The man croaked, the dog whining in reply. He lowered his head and smirked, unhooking the rifle from his back and rising with an aura of confidence. The dog led the way, dissipating into the crowd, the man following eagerly; his sharp, slate grey eyes narrowed with the thrill of the hunt. The hunt for the wolves.

"Autumn! We're home! Autumn...?" Summer cried as she opened the door, her cheery voice fading as she feared the worst. She padded in, but Autumn was nowhere to be found. Neither was the injured wolf. The rug was stained crimson, some of it leaking onto the hardwood flooring. The television was smashed. All the cups that had been drying on the side were shattered into a million pieces on the floor. There were deep gouges in the wallpaper, wounds half a metre long. There were bloody paw prints everywhere, on the walls, the floor, even on the cupboards. Summer's face contorted to an ugly mask of fear, while the girl froze; stock still in the scene of a massacre.

Minutes, quarter of an hour, half an hour, one hour. Time dragged, and Summer busied herself with wiping off the worst of the drying blood, sweeping up broken glass and removing the rug. The girl did her best to help, but her attention wavered when she had time to pause. Her eyes were guilty, and it was clear she blamed herself for the disappearance of the young Red wolf and Autumn. Summer was silent, shock setting in with the vanishing act of her sister. She couldn't help the girl, so she just tried to distract herself from the problem, keep her mind off it, for awhile at least. Everything was clean and tidy to soon, so the girls just sat side by side on Summers bed, silent, glazed eyes, shaking hands.

They sat there for ages, or for what seemed like ages. Time seemed to have given up, gone somewhere else and left the room in a desolate standstill. Voices. In the shop. Both girls' heads snapped up, tensing their muscles for an upcoming attack. The door creaked. Then slammed open to reveal two towering silhouettes, threatening, and one holding what appeared to be a knife. The girl jumped up, snarling and raising her fists. Summer reached for a pole that she always hid down the side of her bed. They both took defensive stances, eyes glaring and teeth bared.

"Bloody hell kid...OW! STOP STANDING ON MY TOES!" A girl's furious voice announced the duo's entrance. Summer smiled incredulously, the girl dropping her fists.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Came a meek reply.

"AUTUMN!" Both girls shouted together, the anxious twin throwing herself upon the startled teenager. Summer hugged her so hard she couldn't breathe, only reluctantly letting go when she begged her for air. The girl just beamed happily from the sidelines, before turning to the bewildered Red wolf behind her. They stared at each other for a moment, before the girl awkwardly embraced him in and embarrassed hug.

"I, uh...um..." The boy stuttered, his cheeks gaining a slight red tinge as he did so. Summer and Autumn exchanged an amused glance, unbeknownst to the younger wolves.

"C'mon Autumn, let's leave these two lovebirds alone." Summer nudged Autumn suggestively, and they both burst into a fit of raucous laughter; both Toboe and the girl jumping apart as though they had been burnt, their cheeks a vivid crimson.

"Sh- SHUT UP!" The girl yelled out of pure embarrassment, but the twins took no notice and just cautiously backed out of the room; making cheeky innuendoes as they retreated.

"B-baka's..." The girl muttered darkly, though there was no real threat in her tone, only an awkward joke.

"Um, I just want to ask..." Toboe trailed off, his gaze falling to the floor. The girl looked around, a bemused but curious smile creeping across her dainty features.

"What?" She asked innocently. Toboe hastily shuffled his feet and took a deep breath.

"What's your name? I mean, you haven't told us, and Summer and Autumn haven't mentioned it either, so..."

"That's because I haven't told them." The reply was blunt, and Toboe was a little taken back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, you know, intrude or-"

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way, I just never told them because, 'cause after the first time we met-it seemed we wouldn't cross paths again. I was originally going to leave this city, but for some reason, I stuck around."

"Did you smell it?" Toboe asked; his curiosity piqued.

"Smell wha- You mean you smelt the Lunar Flower too?" The girl took on a bewildered tone, her face portraying pure astonishment.

"Yeah! I mean, I've been here many times before so I kinda know my way around..."

"You've been here before?" The girl looked puzzled, and Toboe remembered that she was unfamiliar with the many adventures he'd had, travelling with the pack and Cheza, trying to find Paradise.

"Ah, well, not exactly... It's complicated."

"Oh."The girl looked crestfallen for a moment, but she brightened up in a split second; almost as though her childish expression had never changed. An awkward silence threatened to descend between them, and Toboe's brain was whirling to attempt to produce a solution. In the end he came up blank, and resorted to the original topic; her name.

"So, what was your name? If you don't want to say that fine-"

The girl interrupted him with a simple, sweet, heart-warming smile. It made his face heat up to what seemed like a thousand degree's, and caused his heart to miss several beats. At that moment the sun streamed in through the half obscured window, lighting her up in a golden, otherworldly glow. Her soft, shoulder-length, midnight-black hair flowing gently in an uplifting breeze, her face becoming a statue of beauty, petite and immaculate. Her tanned, bronze skin glowed heavenly, her carefree smile one that even the goddesses would envy.

Toboe was speechless, his heart racing, cheeks burning. For some reason he felt as though he _needed _to know her name, to be sure that she was real, not a tempting figment of his wildest imagination. The wind dropped, and the girl opened her sea-green eyes, sparkling with untainted happiness. Toboe began to feel impatience, longing to know her name; the girl flashed him a cheeky grin before skipping out of the room, only paused to make one last statement over her slender shoulder.

"Katia."

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That's chapter 3, sorry it was so short. I thought it was time to tell everyone the girl's name, since it has taken me so long to think of the precise time and setting. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to be updating soon, though I am going on holiday in a week; so it'll take awhile!

Please review, it's always nice to get compliments and encouragement, though if you have constructive criticism I'll be happy to hear it; as I am always open to new tips and ways to improve my writing style, thanks again and bye! ^-^


	4. Painful Memories

Chapter 4 is up! (Finally...) I had a major writers block, Totemo zan'nen Imu! This chapter should be more exciting than the last one, so I hope you enjoy, rate and review! Ne?=right? (I've decided to use more Japanese language in my writing since I'm trying to learn it better) **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I didn't want to enter the dark camp. The nightmare was to horrifying, but I couldn't stop myself from padding onwards. I could see dark, lifeless lumps strewn around the clearing; I knew each of them by name. I didn't bother to count the bodies anymore, mainly because I knew the answer, though it disturbed me greatly. Ravens crouched in the tree's that loomed ominously beyond the camps barrier, not daring to feed on the carrion. This dream was so familiar, yet something was slightly different, something was amiss, but what-

Then it hit me.

The bodies.

One was missing.

I counted, just to make sure. All the time, in my head I was thinking, pleading, 'Why? Why? Why?' But my answer proved my worst fears. One was definitely missing, and it sickened me to my marrow when it dawned on me who it was. The spot where he usually lay was untouched, and when I investigated further, there was no evidence he had ever existed. Even his house was empty. I trudged back into the centre of the camp, and began moving the bodies into a mounting pile near the well. When I was finished, I fished a lone match from my pocket, struck it on the well, and set the bodies alight. This is where the dream will end, with me staring into the flames of my burning friends and family...

But it didn't.

I sat in the flames light for what seemed like hours. Eventually the flames died, leaving grey ashes where my brethren had lain, lifeless. Then something completely unexpected happened; the world began to warp and twist unnaturally, making my eyes water and my head swirl dizzyingly. Then the world turned black.

I came to in a blinding whiteness, and I had to shut my eyes quickly against the harsh light. Finally I opened my eyes slightly, slowly adjusting to the light, but still feeling the need to blink rapidly every few seconds. The land where I had awoken was sparse, with no signs of life or movement; a barren wasteland. Although, I couldn't say it wasn't beautiful. Everything was covered in a thick layer of glistening, powdery snow that sparkled like priceless gemstones in the bright, yet weak, sunlight. It held a kind of savage beauty, a cold, ruthless immaculacy with a habit of crushing all living things into submission.

Then I saw him.

At first all I could see was a tiny trail of disturbed snow trailing its way up a small hill parallel to me, but then, it stopped. I could see a proud, majestic, snow-white wolf raising his nose to the icy blue sky; emitting a chilling howl that echoed throughout the abandoned valley. Soon after the howl ceased, the figure disappeared.

I began to run after him, feeling the snow pushing me back, the wind cursing at me not to go on, the sunlight blinding me so I tripped numerous times. I struggled onward until I reached the hill I had seen the white wolf on minutes before, but he was nowhere to be seen. Desperation crept into my mind, and I became fearful, scared I might have imagined him. I couldn't bear to think I had, that my mind had played such cruel tricks on me. I raised my head to the sky, taking a deep breath...crack. The ground opened up beneath me and I fell, hurling downwards into complete darkness, my mind ablaze with panic, the freezing air biting my lungs as I desperately tried to draw in breath. It was no use. I was falling, and there was no way to stop it. Falling forever...

"Katia! Katia! Wake up! Please, please wake up!" I opened my eyes reluctantly and focused my attention on the young boy who was leaning over me; his golden eyes were wide with mild panic and anxiety, face flushed with exasperation. It took me a few seconds to realise who this boy was;

"Toboe? What's wrong? Are you okay?" I croaked, my throat was dry and it felt like I had been screaming at the top of my lungs for days.

"What? I'm fine; it's _you _I'm worried about."

"Why? I fe-" I broke off as a bout of vicious coughing consumed me. Toboe shot up, grabbed his makeshift crutches and hobbled to the kitchen, and I could faintly hear the tap running. The coughing ceased and I took my hands away from my mouth, and resting them on my lap, respectively.

Something red caught my eye, and I looked down...was it, blood? _It can't be blood, right? _I was starting to panic when I heard Toboe shuffle back in through the kitchen and I quickly wiped my hand on my shorts. He smiled awkwardly and handed me the glass of water, which I accepted gratefully. I drank thirstily, the water was ice-cold; soothing my ragged throat and cooled my burning lungs. I smiled gratefully at him, but otherwise kept my eyes downcast. I was frantically racking my brains for a- a reason, after all it couldn't be blood...could it?

Pained. That was the word that came into my head when I saw her staring at the water I had given her. Her immaculate face was strained, and there were dark, prominent circles under her eyes. _I wonder what's bothering her...maybe I should ask? _After a few seconds of quick debate, I decided against it; after all she didn't look like she wanted to talk about it. _And why would she tell me? After all, I've only just got to find out her name... _This thought brought back the memory of yesterday evening, when she turned around and uttered five little letters that made me almost melt. She did look almost magical, ephemeral, an illusion or miracle...maybe even an angel. But now this angel was crouched low, head bent and eyes wide with fear; staring at her glass of water as though it was blood.

"K-Katia? Are you-you okay?" I stuttered, feeling like a complete fool. She didn't respond, or give any indication she had heard me. I opened my mouth to try again, but then closed it. If she _had_ heard me, she didn't want to talk to me; and if she hadn't heard me, then she wasn't in the mood for a conversation, at least not with _me. _I sighed and dejectedly switched on the TV, monotonously switching through the channels until the twins arrived.

Summer carried a few bulging shopping bags with ease, while her sister trailed after her. They had left early that morning, in the hope of gaining the better bargains down at the market; today was, after all, shipment day. There were rows upon rows of fresh fish, vegetables, clothing, fruits and unnameable things stacked seemingly sky-high; perilously balancing within the perimeter of the shallow, makeshift stalls. Autumn carried a small, leather book in her hand, chewing her biro absent-mindly as she ticked the things off the list.

"Autumn?"Summer called distractedly at first, but then she felt a tingling sensation trickle down her spine. Something wasn't right. Summer whirled around, panic rising in her throat-but Autumn was stood behind her calmly, staring levelly at her sister. She said nothing, but glanced suggestively to the left, then waited for Summer to look. She flicked her eyes to the left, and caught the shape of an auburn cloak swirling into the darkness of an alleyway.

Someone had been following them.

"Hey, what about the bargains on the North Side? I'm sure one of the neighbours mentioned something about the leather being great quality..." Autumn began to babble about random shopping nonsense and Summer just stared at her incredulously. _What the hell is she on about? We're being followed and now she's more interested in shopping than ever...what _is_ she thinking?! _

"Hey Aut-" Autumn's face gained an expression of rage and desperation as she flung a hand over her twins mouth. Summer was silent with shock and let Autumn grab her hand and drag her across the bustling Centre Square and into a small bookshop. They found a cosy (relatively) quiet section labelled 'Foreign Agriculture' and settled into the unoccupied beanbags. Summer had had enough of waiting for her sister to explain herself and hissed angrily;

"What _are _you playing at?! What the _hell_ is going through that thick skull of yours? We're being shadowed and you want to go look at books?!" Autumn merely closed her eyes and waited for Summer's outburst to subdue; after all, Summer was usually overly cheery and optimistic, but could quite easily switch to overly panicky and suspicious.

"Because," Autumn began calmly, trying to keep her own temper under control. "If we are being shadowed, then we don't want them to know we know they are shadowing us, do we? If we act normal then they won't notice any change, therefore we can observe them easily and in much closer detail." She told Summer smugly in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh."

"Also, don't say my name, otherwise they could quite easily find out who we are and where we live etc etc."

"So...what should I call you?" Summer had retreated meekly into her beanbag, completely in awe of the situation. _When did Autumn get so...organised?_

"A common name, common name...Aha! I'll be Haruhi and you can be Ai. There are loads of people called Ai round here, and Haruhi's not exactly rare, ne?"

"Um...sure, Au-I mean, Haruhi." Summer mumbled nervously, and Autumn smiled gently to reassure her. Summer wasn't always so boisterous and outgoing, after mum and dad had passed away; it took her a long time to recover. She suspected that being so excessively joyous and bouncy was Summers way of making up for her years of silence.

"Right. Now that we've got that cleared up we can execute the plan."

"Plan?!" Summer began to giggle uncontrollably, clutching her stomach in ludicrous mirth. Autumn shook her head and attempted to review her plan to her smirking twin.

"Yes. I have a plan." She sighed. "Now just stop sniggering and listen-"

I was sat on the edge of a ruined building, staring wistfully into the setting sun. It glowed a rich shade of crimson, bordered with fiery orange and belligerent yellow; all fighting for domination as the sun sank, defeated, back to its resting place below the horizon. I lay down and shuffled comfortably into a sleeping position, preparing for a long night of restlessness; but quite simply, I was waiting.

Waiting for Blue.

"I'll wait here forever if I have to, Blue. I promised I would, but you promised you would find me...so don't break that promise, please?"

The velvety dark sky was obscured with the dagger-like points of a devastated Noble ship, whose pinnacles were so sharp it seemed as though they were made solely to spear the stars themselves. There were sparse patches of weedy grass dotted around the wreckage, though they weren't much consolation for the hard ground. Snarling defiantly I dragged out a rough sheet of corrugated iron and propped it up against a shattered tree trunk. I scoured the wreckage for bedding, and salvaged a few blackened blankets and scorched pillows from the bedroom residences. I dragged them back to my shelter, and lay on my back, staring angrily at the indiscreet sky through a hole in the corrugated roof. After a few minutes of strained silence I exploded.

"Damn it all! Where the hell are those stupid wolves? I dragged myself through every goddamned city and there's no trace of anybody! I'm sick of this-why couldn't I just be a normal wolf? At least then I wouldn't have to search for that stupid flower!"

I had pushed the roof away during my outburst and stood, growling, at the scenery. There was silence around me, and I was completely alone.

"This is stupid..." I groaned. Pulling the temporary shelter back into place, I settled back into the makeshift bed and sighed heavily. "But I guess I haven't got anything else to do... Porky won't ever stop complaining, unless he's around Blue; and I don't doubt Kiba will end up killing himself over Cheza. As for Toboe... whatever! He'll be fine." I decided there was nothing _I_ could do until we assembled the rest of our rag-tag pack. So, ultimatum resolved, I closed my eyes resentfully and fell into an uneasy sleep.

The snowstorm raged outside, clawing at the edges of the cave in an effort to reach whatever pathetic things lay huddled in fear inside. Not that I cared. It's Cheza who's always on my mind. Always. But for some reason I stopped, facing the cave. _What am I doing? I need to find Cheza! I can't stop until I-_

_"Kiba...Kiba..."_

My eyes snapped open, but I was in complete darkness. The air was warm and musty, but didn't seem stale, just...old. _I need to find my way out of this place! I need to- _Then I remembered the vision, someone was speaking to me...was it, Cheza?

"Cheza! Cheza!" I tried howling her name, but my desperate call echoed of the walls and rattled against my eardrums. I sighed, trying vainly to recollect what Cheza had said.

_"Kiba...Kiba. Don't push yourself too far, this One is safe. This One is glad you are trying to find her, but this One does not want you to come to any harm. This One will wait for Kiba, this One will wait forever if she has to..."_

It was so clear, her perfect face outlined against a star-filled sky; with a slight breeze ruffling her beautiful rose-coloured hair. Her wide crimson eyes were filled with concern and anxiety-for me? Was _I _causing Cheza pain? I couldn't...This isn't right! I want-more than anything- to help Cheza, not cause her pain!

"Cheza! I'm sorry!" I howled wretchedly into the darkness, my desperate cries to be heard rattling down the tunnel that descended into the abyss behind me. "Don't worry, I will find you! We will find Paradise!"

There was a clear, pearly moon directly above me. It cast its watchful eyes over the silvery land, illuminating the frost so it glittered like millions of tiny crystals across the meadow. There were fuzzy purple-headed reeds outlining the murky duck-pond, of which on the dusty bank I lay, staring into the crepuscular, greyish-green water. A sudden rustle to my left startled me and I jumped up and pounced into the long reeds. My claws found their mark in a small wriggling object that mewled piteously when I shifted to equal my balance. Lowering my muzzle, I pushed my head through the grass and found myself face to face with a wide-eyed, innocent looking kitten. I jumped back in shock, accidently transforming into my human form, and releasing the young kit from my grip. It shot up -pearly white fur electrified- and shot off back toward the centre of the city. I sighed, staring at the mournful chaos that I had called home since a few months back. No. Not home. Home means where you belong. Where you feel safe. Where your family is. Where you can escape the harsh bullying ways of reality.

I will never belong. I have never felt truly safe. I have no family. I have nowhere to escape.

I have no home, and I never will. Not in this world. This is why I have to find Paradise. Paradise is not Earth, Earth is not where I belong, and so don't I belong in Paradise? Whatever the reason or course I take, I cannot stay on this world for the rest of my pointless life, crawling through the dirt just to mingle with the merciless crowds. I will never lower myself to a pathetic human! I am a wolf! I have my pride! Humans can die out just lie the rest of my kind! Just like my...

"Family..." my knees became jelly and I collapsed in a straggly heap on the dusty ground. My body shook uncontrollably and I covered my damp eyes with my hands. "I can't- I can't cry! I promised my- my brother..." Taunts of flashing memories swan past my eyes, his kind face, his sometimes moody, solitary nature, his ragged hairstyle that couldn't be tamed no matter how much I tried.

_I remember when he first taught me how to hunt, in the freezing clutches of my first winter. He shot past me, bee-lining for the white lemming that had evaded my capture. I watched him, frozen with awe, as he raced through the powdery snow, his long, shaggy fur whipping from left to right as he accelerated. The lemming turned a sharp right, straight towards me and I shook myself to escape from my speculation, preparing to pounce on the panic-stricken lemming._

_"Run!" The sharp command made me freeze instinctively and I suddenly ducked into the snow. I knew he had told me to run, but I was so scared I couldn't move. What was happening? Where was my brother? Why did he-_

_"Katia! Katia! Get up! We've got to go-now!" I felt sharp canines close around my scruff and drag me up. I came eye to eye with a burning golden orb. I felt reassurance, if he was here, I was safe right? The slaughtered lemming left, forgotten in the reddening snow._

_"But-"_

_"No time, go!" He shoved me harshly in the direction of the ominous pine forest we called Deaths Cove. I had never been close to its borders, and my pack had never even been near it- never mind set foot inside. It was forbidden. Wolves did not dwell there. I started to run, urged on by my brother, my paws churning up freezing snow that stung my eyes and numbed my sensitive nose. I finally reached the outskirts but I hesitated, my overwhelming panic finally rising in my throat and making my knees go weak with utter fear. I felt the rush as some wolf raced past me;_

_"Brother-"_

_"Follow me!" That's all he said before he disappeared over a small dirt ridge. I was more terrified of losing him than I was of whatever we were running from. I raced after him without a second thought, trying to locate the tiny sliver of silver darting between the trees. I finally caught him up in a small clearing ringed by tawny ferns. He turned to me, eyes blazing._

_"Get in." He gestured to a rounded badger hole to my left. I was astounded; what if there were badgers in there?! I mean, they were so rare, but the set looked pretty fresh, with scrape marks around the entrance. Badgers are formidable fighters, ruthless and dangerous, even we wolves caution them. _

_"What?!" I panted, partly because I was out of breath and partly because I was so shocked that he had even found it, that he even noticed it, that he- wait...then it clicked. My brother knew this place. He had been here before. This- this was forbidden! But...why? I steadied myself and locked eyes with him in a steely gaze._

_"You've been here before, haven't you?" I was expecting him to come up with an excuse of some kind, to dodge the question or ignore me completely. But his blunt answer caught me completely off guard, it was utterly incomprehensible for my brother, a straight answer that is._

_"Yes."_

_"But- why? It's forbidden, what in Paradise possessed you to come here?!" I was torn between my emotions, anger for my brother directly breaking the laws of the wild, jealously that he hadn't told me earlier, and awe for his bravery and audacity to even dream of entering this cursed forest. When I looked at him, his gaze was glazed with an indistinctive emotion I couldn't decipher._

_"I came here because- because of the flowers."_

_"What flo-" I broke off at the shrill screech in the distance. No. Not in the distance. Close. Close to the pack. I flattened my ears in fear and looked desperately to my brother. His demeanour was calm, but I could see in his eyes that he was as terrified as I was. He was trying to stay strong, for me. I was always quite good at that, figuring out what people were thinking by what they betrayed in their eyes; I guess it's a skill I acquired when I didn't speak. But that was years ago, I suppose its forgotten now._

_"Look, I know you want answers. Right now I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?"_

_"Of course." He grinned._

_"Good. I'll make it simple. I came here because of the Lunar Flowers, you remember the legend? Anyway, I found a whole field of them, and they bloom every once a full moon. I wanted to protect them, I don't know why, but I heard this voice, telling me to watch over them..." _

_"I don't underst-" I was cut off once again by a shrill, high pitched whistle that accompanied a metal bullet that shot past my brother, inches from his face, and buried itself into my shoulder. I growled in agony and collapsed to the floor, whimpering, writhing uncontrollably. I never imagined I could experience such extreme_ **pain**_. Guess I was wrong. My brother snarled madly and launched into the bushes, savaging the thing that had thrown the metal thing at me. When he returned I hardly noticed, but there was blood everywhere...soaking my coat, drenching the floor, staining my brothers silvery coat._

_"Katia..." I raised my head feebly to look at him. "I'm so sorry, please forgive me...and when we meet again, be it in Paradise or on the cursed Earth, I hope you can still call me your brother."_

_"What are you-?"_

_He raised his unsheathed paw and ripped open my shoulder. I howled in excruciating torture and the world went black._

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So...there's chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I hope you realised that the _Italic_ text was a flashback/memory, if not...T_TlI I cannot foresee you future being very observant.

Anyway, please review if you have any good points or criticism you want to inform me of, I don't mind criticism-as long as its constructive and informative, after all, I'm not your flippin' agony aunt! I'll try to update soon, see ya!\^0^/


	5. Heading for Paradise

Chapter 5 is up, please read and review! I hope you enjoy and stick with me!

Hontōni? = Really?

Ikou! = Let's go!

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The howling wind awoke me from my frantic dreams, leaving me sweating and shivering uncontrollably. After a few minutes, my heartbeat finally slowed down and I found the strength to stand. I shuffled uncertainly towards the kitchen, flicking the light on and reaching for the tap. I splashed some water on my face and returned to my futon; my clothes were piled up neatly beside it, smelling lightly of lavender from Summer's latest washing spree. I pulled them on, collected all my belongings, and made my way toward the door. I cautiously stepped over the peacefully sleeping Red Wolf, looking down at him fondly before leaving the small compartment. I paused, rethinking my actions; backtracked and pulled the note from my pocket, chucking it carelessly onto my now abandoned futon. Then I left.

I was never coming back.

It was time to move on, to progress in my search for Paradise. I was going to miss Summers smile and Autumns sincere grin, even that stupid pups positivity. It wasn't fair, I had given them no warning of my sudden leave, but I always found saying goodbye was harder than just disappearing. That's why I never get close to anyone; parting has always broken my heart.

That Red Wolf was still lingering persistently on the edge of my thoughts, his depthless golden eyes, swirling auburn hair and carefree grin...no! He's just another boy...a boy with who _cared _and possessed selflessness unlike any I have met before. _I can't...I can't love anybody!_

"Alone in the darkness..." I whispered gently, my finger ghosting the surface of my left eyelid.

The stars glared at me coldly from their kingdom, and offered no comfort. The moon was overshadowed by a grim looking cloud that seemed to spread its tendrils of smoky grey over the entire sky. I sighed and began my meandering trek toward the cities gates.

"Damn it all!" An angry bellow rang throughout the rickety old bar, causing a plain, landscaped painted fell to the floor with a strangely satisfying thud. The bar was deserted; exceptions for two lonesome figures.

One of the figures was a burly man, cloaked in swirling tattoos and piercings, with a heavy lined-yet not unkind- face. He emitted a mellow kind of vibe, the kind of guy you'd open up and chat to; drunk or sober.

The other man had dark, wrinkled skin; no tattoos to hide his features; just a weathered auburn cloak and wide brimmed, Old Western style hat. His aura was strained, laced with pain, rage, loneliness, a burning desire for revenge...at least, that what I thought as I poked my head meekly through the door into the storage room.

Summer was crouched beside me, her hands clasped together and a slight smile tugged at her lips. She nudged me impatiently, and I withdrew slowly; so as not to attract the mysterious' mans attention. We retreated hastily to the kitchen, where the Red Wolf was bent over the sink, coughing violently. Summer threw me a _'we'll talk about it later' _look and tended to the distraught pup. I turned away; content with rummaging through the cupboards for a cough medicine. It was-of course- human, but it worked relatively well when Summer became ill last snowfall.

"Here, kid. Drink this." Without waiting for a reply, I shoved the spoon in his mouth; and to my relief, he swallowed it. He coughed a few more times, but it was only clearing his throat. I could tell the medicine had soothed him.

"Don't die Toby! After all, we need to get outta this miserable town! Ne?"

"Toby? Really Summer? Kami..." I sighed; my sister was all too fond of the pup, spoiling him as though he was of her litter. "So, Toboe, she didn't wake you before she left?"

But the boy had shuffled away, collapsing on his futon; clutching the note she had left in his hand. We had presumed it was a note from Katia, but we couldn't be sure; he hadn't let go of the thing. I wasn't sure how to respond to this, I've never been...a people person, you could say. Summer had always dealt with humans; she could have been one herself. Or she's a really good actress. I glanced at Summer hopefully, but she shook her head. She wasn't going to bail me out of this one. I sighed and uncomfortably made my way over to the pup, crouching so I was nearly on his level.

"Toboe? I'm sure she's just gone for a walk or something, you know, to clear her head-"

"But she hasn't! She's gone!" He scrutinised me, his teeth bared in a wolfish fashion; his eyes glistening unnaturally with anger and pain.

"How do-"

"She said so! Its-it's in the letter!" He thrust the letter at me angrily, a fierce glare dominating his features. I accepted the letter, unfolding it gingerly and scanning over the elegantly curled writing:

Dear, whoever can read this?

Look, I'm not sure what to write...so here it goes. I've written it now and I haven't got any more paper; no turning back. Okay then, I'm really-I don't know... sorry? Sorry for leaving so soon, but I can't stay in this dingy city any longer. The scent no longer remains, nor will I by the time you read this. I can't even sleep peacefully here, and my dreams are troubled beyond anything previous; I'm sure it's a sign. We may meet again but the world and its unpredictable terms make everything a possibility and impossibility. I'm searching for Paradise, and if you want to pursue this task, maybe we'll cross paths again.

Summer, Autumn... thanks for looking after me and the pup; I feel guilty for leaving so suddenly but I'm no good at saying goodbyes! (I'm sure I told you last time) Toboe I- ...thanks for-you know, saving my life and that. Keep your chin up and I'm sure you will find what you're seeking. And never give up, okay? Promise me that at least.

Keep safe, Katia xxx

"Oh." That was all I could say. Nothing of comfort. Nothing of use. She was gone, and it had torn this young pup apart from the inside. I was shocked, but I shouldn't have been. She left like this last time, a similar note in her wake.

"She'll be back!" Summer interrupted the silence enthusiastically. She beamed at us, although her confident smile did not raise my spirits; much as was to my despair. Toboe said nothing; his head bowed, resting in his slightly trembling hands. Summer ran her bright blue eyes over the both of us, and I could see a sparkle in her eyes that signalled to me something was working itself out in her crazy head. And I think I knew what her hectic plan would entail.

"Summer..." I tried to warn her, I didn't want her to raise the pups spirits and then bring him back to earth with a heart shattering realisation it was impossible. She paused, but didn't meet my gaze. _Summer you'd better pick your words carefully or I'm going to kill you!_

"We'll go after her!" The pups head shot up, his golden eyes shining with excitement and shallow hope. I groaned inwardly, now we either had to trek after Katia, fail and return; or break the news that we couldn't possibly go.

"Hontōni? You mean it? Thank you so much!" He flew forward and embraced Summer in a tight hug. I could see he was brimming with gratitude, Summers hollow promise sparking a hope that burnt its way through his bleak solitude.

"Summer!" I hissed sharply; and she turned to meet my scathing glare, puzzled. I didn't have time to say anything though, because I was interrupted by an extremely over-excited pup. 

"When do we leave? What do you want me to do? I can pack stuff; I'll go pack!" And he raced off without another word, hastily skidding around the large room collected things strewn everywhere. I angrily grabbed my sister's wrist and dragged her over to the door.

"What did you tell him that for? Now he thinks he's gonna see her again! Are you stupid, or just cruel?" I growled, frustrated; but immediately after I had insulted her, I felt a pang of guilt envelop me.

"But Autumn...I'm deadly serious." Her cerulean eyes had a steely glint of determination and her mouth was set firmly in her opposition.

"What?! You can't be...?" I was astounded, I really didn't expect her to be so ready to leave; especially since the conversation we had a few days ago...she sounded so sad to realise we had to leave. I suppose I am sad, but...there was a feeling of urgency; urgency for the escape of this concrete prison; surrounded by mindless humans that milled emphatically in this breathless city, choked by fumes of poverty and insecurity.

Without another word she slipped past me and strode to the kitchen, leaving me stranded; alone. I desperately wanted to shout, scream, anything to express this overwhelming feeling of being trapped in darkness. I growled violently under my breath, tensed up my left hand and punched the wall. With a cringing crunch and a sharp hiss of pain I retreated, clutching my wrist tightly. The wall had a fairly obvious hand-sized hole in it now, and the plaster was hanging miserably from the jagged edges.

"What was that?" Summer poked her head round the corner and spotted me glaring at the wall; a new hole evidently the result of the painful crunch. She rushed over and pulled my left arm gently. I pulled my right hand away and showed her my rapidly bruising wrist. She led me to the kitchen, pulling a medical kit from a cupboard; skilfully washing my hand clean and gingerly swathing it in bandages. I gritted my teeth when I felt tears in my eyes and a lump rise in my throat. She finished, neatly tucking the end of the bandage in a previous swathe. I examined my hand; the pearly white bandages covered my whole wrist and a little of the bruised skin above, blanketed the back of my hand and palm, weaving between my fingers and curling delicately round my pulsating thumb.

"Thanks," I cast Summer a grateful glance, dropping my injured hand by my side.

"Does this mean you're coming with us?" Summer asked nonchalantly, as though she already knew the answer.

"How could I let you two baka's leave without me?" This good-natured remark earned me a playful shove from my beaming sister. Toboe skidded toward us, tripping on the table leg and comically face-planting the floor with a small yelp. He looked up, his embarrassed laugh making us smile affectionately. Summer suddenly grabbed my right arm, scooped up Toboe's left and pulled us toward the door.

"Ikou!"

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Well that's chapter 5 I hope you enjoyed it! Chapter 6 is going to include a little more action, there's gonna be a lot of blood, violence, fighting etc so I'm warning you now, not that I think you're all sissies or anything! Thanks for reading, review if you have to the decency or manners to mention your appreciation or even disappointment.

Oh yeah, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! \^0^/ Thanks so much, I wish you all a good day! Kabocha ni oshitsubusa shutoku shinaide kudasai! (Don't get crushed by a pumpkin!)


	6. The Madness

This is dedicated to my friend LeKnowingUnicorn (his name on Wattpad) and his new-found love! CONGRATULATIONS! Please don't hate me D':

Anyways enjoy, please note there is a violent scene with descriptive features, don't read if you can't stomach it.

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Bitter winds screamed in my face, clawing at my throat with cruel talons that scraped it raw. My eyes stung in the blizzard, despite me trying to shade them with my bleeding pads. My ivory fur was lightly sprinkled with icy diamonds that rested stubbornly upon my thick coat; refusing to be swept off even with a violent shake. The pathetic bag I carried in my jaws was frozen stiff, and my neck ached from carrying it for hours on end. My legs were weak, but I had made a decision in my mind to make it to _Stonefall _before sun rise. I plundered on, not once daring to glance back towards the city that desperately beckoned me back.

The sky was a crystal clear blue, perhaps a shade too bright, and adorned with swirling grey clouds that growled ominously; threatened to release a blizzard from its stone-cold prison. Me and Autumn were both in our human forms, though Toboe was in his wolf form. He had explained that it was more comfortable that way, and he could bypass it because he was only a pup, not an unorthodox size compared to the few rogue dogs that wandered the neighbourhood.

Autumn was clutching her stomach, her wrinkled brow face betraying her elatedness. We had all stuffed ourselves with food before we left, considering we probably wouldn't be eating for awhile. Autumn and I shared the same reservations about this problem, but Toboe was unfazed, relieved even. When we were back at the pub, he never seemed to eat much, only nibbling at meagre portions every three or four days. It puzzled me slightly, and caused me to ponder about the pup's background, and where he could have possibly come from.

I couldn't work it out.

Toboe's personality was made up of various jigsaw pieces, pieces that didn't seem to fit together quite yet. He was so adorably naive, yet he showed flashes of wisdom far beyond his years. And although he should have been utterly clueless in this city –having claimed he had only arrived here a few weeks ago for the first time- but he was almost as well-rounded as a local. He knew every stall, and often stopped to chat with shopkeepers as though they were life-long friends, the shopkeepers, of course, were utterly clueless. This act was most commonly followed by a sheepish grin and a _"Gomen, you look like someone I know..." _or something similar. He was so young, and yet...

"Summer!" A sharp call of my name shattered the webbed illusion of clues I had assembled, and regrettably, lost all progress on Toboe's jigsaw_._ I loved games, and I had a feeling this was to be yet a minor puzzle in a larger game, one not controlled by those who walked beside me, rather by the one we were following.

"Anou...Summer?" I looked down with mild surprise to find Toboe nervously grinning at me, his head cocked to one side in a cute manner.

"Hmmm?" I relied nonchalantly, wanted to seem interested while occupying my own thoughts.

"Autumn wants you to hurry up or she'll..." Toboe trailed off and his gaze drifted to spot behind me.

"She'll what?" Toboe ducked and I realised my mistake before the words finished forming in my mouth. A hard, compacted snowball hit me full in the face.

"Bulls-eye!" I slipped on the sleek ice, falling ungraciously on my backside with a crunch. Toboe immediately bent down, his wide golden eyes brimming with worry.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I stood up, glaring at my sister before grabbing a large handful of the snow near my feet. "But she won't be!" My sister started to run, still laughing outrageously. But the snow was at least knee-height, and she kept stumbling, laughing too hard to gain proper balance. I was gaining on her, and I changed swiftly into wolf form; dropping my snow but propelling forwards a few crucial feet. _Now I'm close enough! _I thought triumphantly. I leaped on a small, jutting rock, transforming to my human form. My sister put her hands on her temples, pulling faces.

"3, 2, 1!"

My sister fell to the floor, a thin stream of red spurting from her chest. I dropped the snow as a lead weight crashed on my mind, shattering everything.

"Autumn!"I screamed, leaping from the slippery rock and crashing towards her. Grief dropped like a cold stone in the pit of my stomach. She can't be gone! We were going to Paradise, together! In my haste I forgot to check my surroundings, forgot who had shot the cursed bullet, forgot to worry for my own life.

"Summer wait!" I heard Toboe choke out a warning to me and I stopped instinctively. Another bullet buried itself in the soft, new fallen snow a whiskers breadth away from my eye. I glanced up, following its trajectory.

He stood, his rifle resting on one shoulder and aimed it at my head. He had grabbed Toboe round the neck and head-locked him, rendering him immobile; almost choking him completely, seconds away from potentially crushing his windpipe. He wore a tattered brown cloak and a low resting hat. He wasn't young, and had shaggy, untamed grey hair and harsh slate grey eyes that glimmered like a predator that'd caught his prey.

"Who are you?!" I growled, my rage rising.

"Your worst enemy..._wolf_." He grinned manically, and aimed the gun for my head. "Goodnight." He pulled the trigger.

I tensed, knowing my freezing breathes would no longer crystallise in the air for much longer. But the pain never came, my breathing continued. When I opened my eyes I saw a huge white wolf wrestling with the old man, his razor jaws clamped around the rifle. The man was raging, fighting with all his might, but the wolf was stronger. He jumped back, wrenching the gun from the old man's hands; leaving the vulnerable human lying in the snow, his eyes still burning with hatred. The wolf transformed into a young man, and pointed the gun at the man's head.

"No! Don't kill him!" I yelled, startling the boy. As he glanced at me the old man saw his chance and leapt for him. But the boy swung a high kick aimed for his face, making the man fly a few feet away, crashing against a pine tree with a sickening thud. I struggled through the snow, desperate to reach the man. When I reached him I could see his breath freezing in the air, and I could hear the steady thump-thump of his ageing heart.

"What are you doing?" I saw the boy scowling quizzically at me, his mouth pulled down in a frown.

"I- uh...I was seeing if he was okay."

"He's a human." The boy stated simply.

"So?"

"You shouldn't care for humans. Don't get attached or you will end up being hurt."

"You can't tell me what to do." I replied childishly, becoming defensive at his accusation.

"No. I can't." He turned his back to me. "But the humans cannot be trusted. They hate our kind, and I've lived through the hatred many times. The only place for us is Paradise."

"What do you mean? You've lived through what?" I said, confused. How old _was _he exactly? 'Lived through', what had he experienced? He turned his head, staring at me with an unwavering gaze. He had calculating icy blue eyes that seemed to see right through me, making me shiver subconsciously.

"You should see if your sister is okay." He turned away and began to walk away, easily striding through the snow.

"Wait!" He paused, but didn't turn around. A gelid wind swept viciously across the flat land, chilling me to the bone and ruffling my hair. I shivered violently, but the boy just stood there, as though the wind never existed.

"Kiba?" Toboe had pulled himself to his feet and was staring incredulously at the white wolf. The boy turned round, a faint smile ghosting his impassive features.

"Hey Toboe. How's the search going?"

"I haven't seen anyone else yet." Toboe sighed. "Have you?"

"Up till now, no one."

"So what are you doing here?"

"I heard there were wolves in this city, so I decided to travel here. Seems like I found you though."

"Well... we're searching for another wolf actually." Kiba's ears pricked up. "She ran off, and we think she's heading for _Stonefall_."

"Wait, Toboe, do you know this wolf? I thought you said you'd lived in the city all your life! How could you have possible met him?" I was so confused; nothing seemed to be making sense!

"Summer," I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, sis."

"Autumn?! You're okay!" I embraced her, feeling a pang of guilt that I hadn't gone to see if she was okay immediately. I didn't want to confirm if she was... dead. "Thank the skies you're okay!"

"You'll kill me if you don't let me breathe!" Summer gasped. I released her instantly, not wanting to aggravate her injury. That reminded me.

"Autumn, where's the bullet?" A flash of realisation crossed her face and she gingerly pointed to a point just below her collarbone. "Autumn! We've got to get it out or you'll be poisoned!"

"But I can't really feel it, why does it matter?" I suspected it was the shock that made her uncoordinated to the pain. I knew lead poisoning was inevitable if I left the bullet embedded in her skin, but how was I supposed to get it out?

"Just trust me."

"I do." Autumn reassured me with an open smile, and I couldn't help but feel sad at her cluelessness. It was going to hurt, a lot. I didn't think I could cause my beloved sister so much agony. There was also the fact that _she _was the one who had been studying for a medical degree... she was more qualified to perform the operation but I knew it was impossible.

"You can't do it here." It was Kiba.

"What?!" I exclaimed, incredulous at the thought of risking the poisoning.

"One: That old man's not going to unconscious for much longer. Two: There's a blizzard on the way."

"A blizzard?" Toboe asked fearfully. Kiba was silent. I was getting the feeling that Kiba wasn't really the talkative type.

"So what do we do genius?" Autumn panted, and I hoped the shock wasn't wearing off so soon. I knew shock could be deadly in some cases, but it also prevented the full extent of the pain. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't get rid of the bullet in a blizzard, and Autumn was just going to have to endure it. The bleeding was not an issue, at least, not yet.

"We go back to the cave, and we wait."

"Cave? Kiba, you found a cave!" Toboe exclaimed, relief shining in his eyes.

"Where is it? We need to go, now!" Summer grunted in pain, clenching her teeth and clutching the wound. I bit my tongue to avoid spitting insults at the others, especially Kiba. I felt like it was _his _fault, but really, it wasn't. I just wanted to blame someone so I wouldn't feel guilty about letting her get hurt.

"Kiba?" The white wolf was trotting away, leaving a wide gouge in the snow. Toboe following without hesitation, and it made me wonder how well they actually knew each other. I was looking forward to the explanation. I offered Autumn a hand, but she shook her head and I could see a determined glint in her clear sky-blue eyes. She trudged ahead, leaving me to pad on behind her.

The blizzard raged outside, desperately battering the edges of the cave, screaming in rage in its effort to get to us. Toboe was huddled in a corner, casting nervous glances toward Summer and me. I was slumped against the eroded back wall, breathing heavily and clawing at my wound subconsciously. Summer sat beside me silently, motionless except to apply pressure to the wound or encourage me everything was okay. Kiba was stood near the mouth, his faraway blue gaze fixed on the furious grey sky.

There was something about the aloof white wolf that was... tempting. He was fairly handsome, and had head of rough brown hair. His manner was quite mysterious, and he didn't say much. A dark grey jacket and ripped jeans only accentuated the fact he was feral, uncontrollable and unpredictable. I was wary of him, but also interested. I hoped he wouldn't be so cold to me as long as he was here.

"Hey... Summer? Is she- is she okay?" Toboe stuttered nervously.

"I'm fine Toboe, don't worry ab-" I grunted in pain as another wave of agony seized me. Summer clutched my free hand, her eyes threatening to spill over with salty streams. I could tell my injury was causing as much agony to her as it was to me. I knew she could barely watch as I writhed uncontrollably, but she was helpless. She had no tools, no antiseptic or numbing cream, nothing that would make the operation go smoothly. I could practically smell the anxious anger radiating from her pelt.

"She'll be fine, won't she?" Toboe fretted, turning to Kiba. "Kiba? What are you looking at?"

"The snow."

"Why? What's so interesting about the snow?! My sister is in _agony_ and you're watching the snow?" She growled, her anger spilling over in a tide of helpless rage. Kiba didn't react, just turned his head a fraction so I could see into his icy blue eyes. My sister didn't flinch.

"Hey, hey! Summer calm down, I can practically see the steam coming from your ears!" I gasped jokingly, hoping there was a pleading look in my glazed blue focus. She snapped back to reality with a jerk and realised she needed to stay calm, despite the situation.

"Sorry." She muttered, and I felt guilt rising like bitter bile in my throat. I didn't know why. Kiba gave a slight nod, and turning back to the dulcifying attitude of the storm. A few graceful snowflakes fluttered into the cave, landing elegantly on the jagged, coal-blackened rock at our feet. I felt a faint smile tug at my lips, but an overwhelming sadness still dragged at my heart. Silence followed my sister's hesitant apology, the bone-chilling winds becoming quieter and quieter until they faded completely.

"We should go." Kiba announced, striding over to where I was staring intently at the opposite wall with half-closed eyes. In one swift movement he swung me gently into the air, carrying me bridal-style out of the cave. I felt a wave of heat rise to my face, and I was glad Toboe and Summer were trailing behind; and I tried to avoid catching the eye of the white wolf. After what seemed like hours I felt sleep turning my eyelids to lead. The soft swaying of Kiba's walk was strangely soothing, and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness.

A large battered sign swung miserably above my head, creaking in the swirling winds of the blizzard. The town looked bleak and deserted, benches and market stalls abandoned in the panicked rush to shelter from the storm. Although the initial ferociousness was subsiding, it still growled defiantly around me. Taking advantage of the wreckage, I fumbled through the stalls until I found a large black and purple backpack, some thick grey gloves and a large bluey-purple coat. I pulled the coat on hastily, instantly shutting out the worst of the winds, the gloves providing the first heat my hands had felt in hours. I unzipped the bag, emptying the plastic packaging onto the floor. There was no time to worry about littering now. The storm would be over soon, and so would the opportunity for free food. Making my way carefully over to one of the stalls, I found several baskets of slightly cold bread. I picked out the best, stowing them in my bag.

The scent of fresh meat made my head snap up instinctively, and picking my way through the rubble, I found battered shop metres away. The sign said _Marksman and Sons_, but it didn't make any sense to me. I found a cracked counter piled high with large cuts of meat, and my mouth watered involuntarily. I reached out to grab the food, but hesitated inches away. I didn't want bloody, soggy bread or the bottom of my bag to get damp. It seemed like forever before I found a pile of plastic bags trapped underneath a pile of books, and only a few seemed to be ripped. I began packing until I heard a shrill shriek behind me.

"Thief! Thief!" I spun around instantly to see a young girl pointing an accusing finger at me. I realised with a jolt that I could no longer hear the storm outside. I could see the pale faces of frightened villagers gathering around the shop. _There aren't many people considering it's a village, _I pondered. There was about a dozen, half of them younger than me; but I brushed this aside as I noticed their expressions. A sick feeling of dread enveloped me as I saw the grim determination on the faces of the villagers; these people weren't going to let me get away unscathed. I gulped, trying not to flicker into my wolf form and streak away. I couldn't see any disguised wolves in the crowd, so that most likely meant these villagers were as clueless as the rest of the humans about the existence of wolves.

"Wait! I- I can explain! I was-" My plea was cut short as a stone struck my shin, and I felt the split skin well instantly with warm blood. I gritted my teeth and began to limp backwards, raising my hands in defeat. "You can have everything back! I promise I won't take anything, I won't ever come back!"

"No, you won't take anything." A wizened old man stepped forwards, a psychotic smile plastered on his face. "And you will never need to come back, because you will never leave."

"What do you mean?!" I asked, alarmed. A glint of metal caught my eye, and I noticed that every person had a knife or gun tucked in their belts. The child who had caught me earlier smirked and picked up another stone.

"This is gonna be fun." She giggled, tossing the jagged stone from one hand to the other.

"You're crazy!" I yelled; panic surging over me like a wave. "Let me go! You can have everything back, just leave me alone!"

"But where's the fun in that?" The girl asked innocently, her wide blue eyes shining with anticipation. She smirked devilishly. "Children like to have fun you know."

"You wouldn't dare, you little brat." I snarled, feeling the thin thread snap inside my brain. I felt rage and darkness consume me like ravenous predator. The girl's eyes sparked and became pools of hatred.

"Brat?! How dare you! You're as good as dead, thief!"

She lunged at me and I leaned to the left, avoiding applying pressure to my bloodied shin. She foresaw my dodge, and as she flew past she struck out with a fist and clouted my temple. The force felled me onto one knee, droplets of blood darkening on the worn concrete. The blow was unexpected, _but it shouldn't have been _that _strong, _I thought angrily. I staggered to my feet, my vision blurry and the world spinning slightly. I scowled at the girl, and she raised her fist, my blood dripping from the metal plates that covered her knuckles.

"I didn't know we were playing dirty." I implied nonchalantly.

"You can't even beat a little girl like me?" She mocked. Her face darkened. "How pathetic."

"Oh?" It wasn't me who replied casually, at least, that's what I like to believe. I screamed inside my own head, trapped in a cage of swirling madness. _Don't do it! Don't kill her! _I had lost control, lost to the bloodlust, lost to my insanity.

"Die!" The girl lunged forward powerfully, extending her thorn-sharp blade for a finishing blow. I crouched, springing metres into the air. The girl skidded to a halt with shock, right underneath me. _Move! Move out of the way! _She couldn't hear me. Helplessness gripped me and I begged for her soul to be guided safely to wherever she needed to be.

I fell like a stone, landing precisely on the top of her head and forcing her to the ground. Her head hit the concrete, her skull shattering instantly. I stepped away, watching as the grey sludge seeped into the cracks.

"Such a waste." I yawned, kicking the lifeless corpse. It rolled away, leaving a bloody stain and dull, sickly grey lumps seeping from the open side of her head. One wide blue eye stared blankly from a seat of concrete, and I splattered it under my foot. I turned to the bandit villagers, beckoning with an outstretched hand. Everyone backed away, dropping their weapons. I took one step forward and they fled like frightened rabbits, scattering in all directions. Once they were out of sight, I felt pain in my chest, searing like a burning flame. I fell to the ground, my breathing becoming shallow and beads of sweat forming on my head. My muscles seized up, and I felt my bones ache unbearably. Unable to contain the agony I raised my head and screamed. The pain subsided and I felt a bone-weary tiredness grip me. I crawled into a small hollow underneath a rock and curled into a tight ball, motionless except for shivering in an uncomfortable cold-sweat. I finally slipped into my dreams, hoping that when I awoke the madness would have gone.


	7. Blinded by the Unknown

The waiting room was the opposite of what I had expected, the fresh-smelling walls newly painted and unstained. The carpet was relatively clean, and all the chairs were decent quality; magazines piled up and various children's toys piled neatly in the corner. A nurse pushed through a door, her mouse brown hair piled up in a professional looking bun. She had warm brown eyes that gave her a friendly exterior.

"Excuse me? Are you all relatives of...?" She glanced at her clipboard. "Haruhi Satsuki?"

"Friends and sister." Kiba cut in before I could reply, and gestured to me. "She's the one you're looking for."

"I-"

"Very well. Please come with me Miss Satsuki." She turned and headed back through the door, and I hurriedly shuffled after her, leaving Toboe talking quietly to Kiba. I was still curious about the relationship between those two, but I was clueless, still, and they refused to give anything away. Passing past numerous doors we finally came to one that was slightly ajar, and the steady tones of a man drifted from inside.

"...will heal, there will be little if any scar tissue remaining after you have recovered."

"Where is my sister? Is she here?"

"Your sister? I believe she is in the waiting room, along with two boys. She seemed very worried about you."

"Of course she did! She _is _my sister." I smirked; at least she was feeling well enough to make smart remarks. I saw the nurse smile faintly beside me, and I felt a rush of kindness toward her.

"Doctor Seishin? Miss Satsuki is here to visit the patient." The nurse glided in, and smiled warmly at me to follow. I hesitated, and then took a deep breath. I didn't want Autumn to see me so nervous.

"Autumn! Took your time didn't you? You almost had me worried!" I strolled in, grinning widely. Autumn rolled her eyes, but smiled and waved feebly.

"Hey. Sorry for my... inconvenience."

"I forgive you, since you're flesh and blood and all." I said, faking a huge ego and swelling self-importance.

"Regrettably." Autumn muttered.

"Hey! Don't be unfair!" I pouted, although I knew she was joking. She smiled cheekily in return, and I rushed forwards to hug her tightly.

"Missed you sis." She whispered into my ear.

"Don't _ever _worry me like that again. Promise?" I replied, a lump forming in my throat.

"How can I guarantee when we're travelling with them lot?" She laughed softly.

"Fair enough." I sighed, pulling away. "But try, at least?"

"Will do."

"So," I said, addressing the doctor, who was looking rather out of place and uncomfortable. "Will recovery be smooth? Are there any medications you recommend?"

"Yes, her recovery should be uneventful. Although heavy lifting or extensive labour may cause fleeting experiences of pain. If this happens, normal painkillers and rest should do the trick. However, if the pain doesn't fade after 3 days, you may have done some serious damage and will need stronger medicines or medical treatment. If you require stronger painkillers, use this card to verify your cause." He offered a small, pale blue card.

"Thank you." I said, taking his card and putting it in my pocket, zipping it closed so I wouldn't lose it.

"If she can manage to eat something today and walk around without too much harassment, then she can leave tomorrow morning." The nurse added.

"Thank you." I repeated, relieved to hear she could leave so soon. I didn't think Kiba was keen to stay here long, and Toboe was getting restless, he knew every hour we spent here Katia was probably using to get to her next destination.

"We'll leave you alone then." The nurse suggested and the doctor hurriedly shuffled away, not bothering to say goodbye. Then the nurse stepped closer, her eyes suddenly very serious. "I suggest you don't stay here too much longer, there are wolf hunters prowling around. They'll find you if you don't get out of here."

"How do-" Autumn started, but was cut short.

"If you want to know more, visit the _Drunken Traveller _tomorrow at noon. Tell the bartender 'silence is the key to long living', he'll tell you what to do."

"Okay, but your explanation had better be good." I mumbled, my trust of the young nurse suddenly disappearing. She seemed a lot shadier now, and there was no telling what she would tell us if we did meet her at the _Drunken Traveller_, or talk to this bartender.

"I don't want to see you die out. I've seen death too much as it is already." The nurse straightened up and turned towards the door. She glanced back nervously. "I'll send those two boys in, but I'm not saying you have to meet me there. It'll just be easier for you to escape this hellhole. And Jagara." She left without another word.

"Who _is _she?" I asked, astounded at her offer.

"She isn't a wolf, so I don't see how she could possibly know about us." I looked at Autumn, her face set in concentration. I could see she was just as confused as I was.

"What if you accidently changed into your wolf form during your surgery?" Shock passed over her face, and then changed to relief.

"I don't think so. I don't see why I would have, seeing as I was awake and all."

"You were awake?!" I inquired, startled.

"I insisted. I wanted to know what they used and how they did it. I was just curious." Autumn replied nonchalantly.

"If you weren't under the anaesthetic, didn't it... hurt?"

"A little, but the numbing cream they used was particularly effective." She smiled. "But if any of us meet another bullet, I'll know the basic procedure."

It dawned on me then the journey we had embarked upon was way larger and densely complicated than we had first predicted. Two days after leaving the relative safety of the city we had been attacked, my sister almost killed and had met a strange, aloof white wolf that had suddenly changed our journey into something more serious. Now we resided in a small town, where we had met a nurse who knew what we were, and was offering help; not to mention claiming there were wolf hunters prowling the streets. I sighed; it all seemed like a lot to take in. And now, my sister was already preparing for another battle, for more life-threatening wounds, as though she was used to it. I couldn't help thinking that battles and injuries would only be a small hindrance to the massive task that loomed ominously over us. What that task was, I had no idea.

"Autumn!" I snapped out of my daydream and caught Toboe skidding in, and I stepped forwards to stop him crashing into a defenceless Autumn. Surprisingly, Kiba caught him by the shoulder and held him back.

"Be careful. She's only just come out of surgery." Kiba glanced at my sister and I thought I saw his gaze soften ever so slightly. "You don't want to aggravate her injury."

"Oh yeah! Sorry Autumn."

"It's fine, really!" I noticed a slight red tint adorned my sister's cheeks, and I smiled to myself. _I just hope she won't rush into something to soon, _I thought.

"Summer?" I blinked, washing my daydream away.

"Hmm?"

"That nurse, the one who called you in before, she gave us a strange look when she sent us in. She seemed a little different." Toboe pondered, his golden eyes clouded with thought.

"Did she say something?" Kiba cut in, staring at me intently.

"Well..." Autumn started, but then looked hesitant. She glanced at me, and I nodded. There was no sense in keeping this secret, since they were as much wolves as us. "She did say something about Jagara and-"

"Jagara?!" Both Toboe and Kiba exchanged an alarmed look, and their expressions changed to a grave seriousness.

"Who is that?" Autumn asked curiously.

"Jagara is... a wolf hunter. We can't explain any further until we tell you the whole story. It'll be clearer then and maybe we can answer some of your questions."

"Why can't you tell us now?" I hissed, annoyed at being, yet again, denied the knowledge of their past, which still left me in the dark. I hated not knowing what was going on, especially if I was to play a part in it.

"Because we're not all together yet!" Toboe exclaimed suddenly. "The pack is still all separated, and Cheza is nowhere to be found."

"Cheza? Who's that?"

"She's... it's difficult to explain." Kiba muttered, his fists clenching.

"Evidently." I growled, pointedly turning my back on them. "The doctor said Autumn can leave tomorrow, as long as everything goes smoothly. I plan on staying here, where do you plan on staying tonight?"

"Summer..." Autumn whispered, shocked at my bluntness.

"It's fine. I saw a small inn across the street when we arrived. There should be a spare room in there." Kiba replied smoothly.

"We'll meet you here at half ten, that should give you enough time to wake up."

"Summer!" Autmn hissed.

"Very well. See you then. Don't forget to eat." He directed his last statement at Autumn, then walked out.

"Anou... Goodnight, Summer, Autumn." Toboe said uncertainly, and then hastily shuffled after Kiba. After their footstep had faded down the corridor Autumn turned to me, her eyes burning with anger.

"What the _hell _was that about?"

"What?!" I said incredulously, surprised anther ferociousness.

"Why were you so goddamn rude to them? They didn't do anything!"

"Because," I replied, trying hard to keep myself from shouting. "I hate being left in the dark! I don't know _anything _about what's going on, and you've been hurt because of it!"

"That's how you feel?" Autumns gaze softened and she shook her head. "I wasn't hurt _because _we didn't know something, and you know it. So don't try to place blame on anyone apart from that old beggar who held the gun. As for being clueless, I feel the same. I don't like not knowing anything either, but we're just going to have to get used to it. It's clear those two know something –and are part of something- bigger than we can imagine, and whether we like it or not, we've been dragged into it as well."

"I want to know who this 'pack' is, and who Cheza is. Who is this Jagara? And why is she so dangerous?" I sighed, feeling deflated. "I feel so lost, and I haven't got a foothold to steady myself."

"I know." Autumn replied simply, switching to her wolf form and jumping down from the bed, padding up to me and lying down. I leaned down and curled up beside her, the comforting warmth from her fur and rhythmic breathing finally lulling me into a light, fleeting sleep.


	8. Walking in my Dreams

The town was dark, silent and deserted. A lonely wind drifted through, whistling though the dry leaves of grass and sending dead leaves spiralling up into the air. After I had dragged myself out of my uneasy sleep, I watched as shadows flitted across the moonlit street, and listened to the disturbingly ominous calls of small insects. I didn't think the lowlifes had returned, but I couldn't be sure, and I didn't know how long I had slept. Last time this... occurred, I had slept for five days straight, narrowly avoiding being buried at a nearby cemetery.

"Hey? Is there anyone here?" I froze, vainly straining my eyes to find the culprit. I couldn't see anyone, but a strong, musky scent washed over me and I could hear soft footsteps approaching slowly. I could feel my heart thudding against my chest, threatening to crack my ribcage.

"Go away... Just leave!" I hissed under my breath.

"I know there's someone here. I can smell you, you know." The unknown voice stated matter-of-factly. It sounded like a young boy, with cheeky, lofty tones. The footsteps edged closer, and I saw scruffy white trainers appear on the brim of my vision. I heard the cracking of joints and imagined that in a few seconds the boy would look down, and see me huddled defencelessly in the rut. I made my decision and tensed my muscles, shifting to my wolf form.

"Stay away!" I growled.

"Aha! I knew my nose was right! What're ya hiding under there for?" The boy paused, probably waiting for an answer. "C'mon! What's the point in hiding if I've already found you?"

"I said, go away!"

"I heard. But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave. I'm curious, what'cha doing in an outlaw's village, cowering under a rock?"

"I'm not cowering!" I protested, bunching my hindquarters further into the crevice. My fur stood on end, brushing the roof of my small sanctuary.

"Sure. Prove it." He jibed, retreating a few paces from the mouth. I shot out from the rut, snapping at his exposed ankles and spinning round on one forepaw so I faced him square-on. Charging forwards with a ferocious growl, I head-butted his knee's so he fell backwards with a thud. I leapt swiftly backwards, out of range from a counterattack. It was only then I realised he was laughing, ruffling his orange hair with an outstretched hand. I was completely baffled.

"What are you doing?" I asked, utterly bemused.

"I didn't think a pup like you would have so much fight in her! You surprised me y'know." He smirked.

"Pup?!"

"I know a wolf when I see one. I should really!" He laughed again, straightening up and regarding me with a cheerful gaze. He had wide brown eyes and curly orange hair, a large yellow hoodie, trailing grey slacks and ragged light greyish trainers that were peeling at the seams. Hanging loosely around his neck there was a dark leather collar, embedded with a shiny silver plate that had a strange mark carved into it. I swiftly changed into my human form, staring at him quizzically with my arms folded.

"How do you know I'm a wolf?"

"You're really asking me that?" He sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Look a little closer."

"Oh." I could see know he was a sturdy, light brown wolf with a slightly darker cloak that curled around his eyes and covered his muzzle like a mask. He had a large, fluffy tail, his neck still adorned with the strange collar.

"See?" He asked, and I nodded slowly; slightly embarrassed at my naïve mistake. He smiled widely, and I wondered if anything seemed to put this wolf in bad spirit. "Let me introduce myself, my names Hige, pleased to meet 'cha!"

"I'm K-" I paused. I didn't want to distrust this friendly wolf, but natural paranoia was warning me to keep my guard up. "I'm Yuki. Nice to meet you too."

"Where're you off to?" Before waiting for an answer he carried on. "I'm looking for the rest of my pack -it's complicated you see- we got separated and we really need to find each other. Have you seen any of them?"

"How could I know if you haven't told me their names?"

"Oh, yeah! Well..." He held up four fingers. "There's Blue, she's beautiful. Then Tsume, he's a pain in the ass. Third, Kiba, he's a decent kind of guy, but not really the talkative type. Lastly there's the runt, okay, well, not really... but he's the smallest, goes by the name Toboe."

"Toboe?!" I exclaimed.

"You know him?"

"Kinda..." I muttered, my stomach twisting with guilt. "I met him a few weeks back, but I left..."

"Left?"

"The place I was staying. I took off without saying anything to my friends and Toboe."

"Why?" Hige inquired curiously. I would've told him to mind his own business but if he knew Toboe, maybe he could find him and tell him I was sorry.

"Because! Because..." I hung my head. "I'm no good at saying goodbyes."

"I see. Where did you last see him?" Hige asked.

"He was living in... Uh... Damn! I can't remember!" I said, annoyed at my terrible memory.

"It's fine, what direction is the city in?"

"It's... northeast to _Stonefall._"

"Is that where you're heading?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'd avoid that place for a few months if I were you. A few gangs have banded together and are attacking the richest houses in the city, battling it out with the personal guards. I hear they've taken a few hostages as well, but rumours do tend to... exaggerate."

"Oh. That changes things."

"It does, unless you're reckless enough to travel there... alone." He shrugged. "Then again you could come with me and find Toboe."

"Come with you? But..." I didn't want to meet Toboe and then realise he didn't want to see me. To see anger or disappointment etched on his face, scorn burning in his golden eyes. I didn't want to meet that reality, or even begin to imagine what I'd do if I were put there. I could quite happily imagine Toboe and me were still friends, just... in different places.

"Yeah well, from the way you said it, I don't think you said goodbye properly; I can see you regret it. So why not just come along and say goodbye properly, or not leave at all?"

"I'm not sure..."

"I'll be back here at dawn, come with me if you want. I'm going to find something to eat!" He bounded away, his muzzle brushing the ground in the search for a meal. I stood, stunned, contemplating the jovial wolfs offer. I did want to say sorry, not only to Toboe, but to the twins as well. I had pulled my little vanishing trick on them twice now, and I was sure they were going to be _slightly _annoyed that I took off again without saying anything. The longer I thought about it, the more it confused me. I hated saying goodbye... but why? A simple goodbye shouldn't be difficult, so why did I struggle so much? Where did it all stem from? Perhaps it was because I never got to say goodbye to my friends, to my family... to my brother. I though back to the last time I saw his face, a proud, gleaming golden eye filled with pain as he raised an unsheathed forepaw and slashed my shoulder. I should have hated him, but I couldn't bring myself to. He was everything I had, the only one I depended on, the only one who cared. The only one _I_ cared for.

"I hope his spirit hunts in Paradise now..." I muttered, praying that he hunted in the tranquillity of heaven, where he'd always wanted to be. I added bitterly: "If only I was there with him."

Toboe slept peacefully on the single bed, his shallow breathing strangely comforting in the otherwise silent night. I sat in the windowsill, one leg dangling of the edge carelessly. I sighed, raising my nose to the sky in a hope to smell the sweet scent of Cheza drifting by on the gentle wind. Of course it was in vain. The only thing I could smell was the pollution hanging grimly in the foul air. I thought about the feisty she-wolf and her more mild-mannered sister. I didn't know what I had done to annoy her so much, but then again...

"Every time we mention our past... so perhaps...?" I mumbled, half to myself. If she was so frustrated about not knowing the whole story, there was nothing I could do. Apart from tell her, obviously. I inhaled deeply, resting my head on one knee. I didn't know whether that was the right thing to do, considering the whole idea might just seem like one big joke to them. Maybe they would even try to discourage us from going, considering how attached Toboe was to them. They treat him like their own litter, and it was clear Toboe looked up to them.

"Kiba...?" My head shot up, scanning wildly for the owner of the voice.

"Who is it?" I said foolishly, feeling vulnerable in the small room. A soft laugh drifted through my ears, calming me and slowing my heartbeat.

"It is this One Kiba." Cheza's melodious tones swirled around me, blocking out the light snoring of Toboe until he was merely a part of the paling background.

I found myself floating a few metres above a blooming field of silver flowers, stretching as far into the horizon as I could see. I descended slowly, looking around in utter awe. Multiple moons shone like giant jewels in the sky, with millions of stars surrounded them like pups coveted their mothers. I realised I was in my wolf form, and I suddenly felt the urge to run, to sprint across these endless fields of Lunar Flowers and howl into the inviting, velvety sky. Movement suddenly caught my attention, and I followed the wavering line of disturbed glowing flowers until I saw a young girl with rose coloured hair smiling softly at me.

"Cheza!" I tumbled forwards, tripping over my own paws in my haste. Regaining my balance, I padded more gracefully to her, gazing into her crimson eyes. Where human eyes had a white edge with and iris and pupil enclosed within, Cheza eyes were completely red with darker maroon pupils.

"Kiba! This One is happy you are okay." She said, extending her arms to me. I practically fell into her embrace, contentedness swelling up inside me and weariness dragging at my limbs. We sat like this for what seemed like hours, but the position of the moons never changed, the stars stuck in a static state.

"Cheza..." I pulled away from her. "Where is this place?"

"Even this One cannot answer your question Kiba."

"You don't know? I have no idea either. It's nice but... it hasn't changed since I got here, did you notice?"

"This One did see that the flowers have not withered and died..."

"Should they have?"

"Without the moon, these flowers cannot shine."

"But there is a mo-" I looked up, and to my surprise I saw the sky was empty. There wasn't even a single star to light it up. When I looked back to Cheza, I saw the background behind her was completely black, but not the soft, velvet of the sky with numerous moons, but the harsh black of polished ivory, uninviting and ominous. When I met Cheza's gaze once again, I saw tears falling delicately from her lashes, staining her cheeks. Before I could say anything, she shook her head and looked away.

"Kiba. This One must leave you now. The end is drawing near, but the pack is not assembled yet. You are running out of time Kiba. But... this time will be different from the last. This time you may be able to open Paradise, if you hurry."

"How can I assemble the pack if I don't know where they are?" I said, helplessness sweeping over me.

"The Howling is found. The Claw is awaiting your arrival at the final battle. Sense is closer than you think. The Seasons need to be convinced. The Shadow haunts your memories."

"Howling...? Toboe? Tsume is the Claw and Sense is Hige. The Seasons though..." I racked my brains for an answer, and then it hit me. "Autumn and Summer?"

"Yes."

"Then who is the Shadow?" As I finished my question, the world began to fade. The Lunar flowers shrivelled, the greyish tinge spreading until it reached Cheza's feet. To my horror I saw it taking over her, until only her sad, depthless eyes and simple smile remained.

"You already know. She does not hate you. You will meet in Paradise."

"Cheza!" But she was gone, and I was left alone in a world of darkness. I sat, shivering, my thoughts racing until my head ached. Suddenly the world began to stretch and distort around me, spinning so fast it made me dizzy to keep my eyes open. I screwed them shut, hoping this insane place would just...

"Go away!"

"What's wrong brother?" I opened my eyes and saw a young wolf staring innocently at me. _My sister..._ I had to look away, shame and grief flooding my heart. "Brother?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing." I mumbled, wildly looking around. This was a memory, it had to be. My wolf pack buzzed around me, young, fluffy pups less than a few moons old stumbling through the thick snow. Their mothers nuzzled affectionately with their mates, watching over their litter with undisguised pride. A few elderly wolves scorning the younger, but a humorous glint twinkled in their tired eyes. Strong male wolves strutted around the dens, trying to impress the young females that ignored them without much thought. It was all... normal. _No! My pack is dead! They were murdered by Jagara's troops ten years ago! ... Weren't they? _

"Hey Kiba!" I turned, my gaze catching that of a young she-wolf with sparkling blue eyes and a pale silver-grey coat.

"Hey. Aisu, what's up?"

"I was thinking of going hunting, you wanna come? Uta and Yokaze are coming too."

"Uhh... yeah su-"

"Brother!" I glanced down, and saw the young wolf glaring at me with a surprised and hurt gaze.

"What?" I asked, puzzled.

"You promised to teach _me _to hunt today! I've been waiting since... forever!" I looked back to the pale she-wolf, who shrugged. I could see my sister's outburst had disappointed her, but she brushed it away hurriedly.

"I'm sorry, maybe another time?"

"Yeah. Fine. See you around Kiba." She padded away, chatting to two other adolescent wolves before trotting away, disappearing from my sight. I sighed, turning back to my defiant sister.

"Go and tell the Alpha, then we'll go."

"Right!" She raced off, heading for the Alpha's overhang in the cliff face. I padded towards a gap in the thorn barrier, settling down on my haunches to wait. This all seemed to... real. How could I be reliving a memory, from so many years ago? At least, I thought it was a memory, although I couldn't recollect ever dreaming about it, or even thinking about it when I was awake.

"Where am I?" I muttered, watching the pine branches rustle as a frozen, gelid wind swept through them; ruffling the needles so they rattled like dry bones. I felt tiny vibrations of paw steps on the ground, stealthily approaching. Leaping into the air, I landed behind my attacker; bowling her over with a strong swipe. Fluffy stomach exposed, she was defenceless. She thumped her tail in defeat.

"I give in! You win!" My sister laughed, righting herself and shaking her pelt so the snow sprinkled off in a crystallized shower. "But one day I'll easily sneak up on you!"

"Sure." I replied shortly. I knew it was my chance to once again speak to my sister, as she no longer resided in the world of the living. It was my chance to say sorry, to change the past. _To save her?_ I thought. _But if it's a memory, I can't change anything, can I? Then again, I seem to have control of my speech so..._

"Let's go!" The year old she-wolf sprinted away, and I hastily scrambled after her. I easily overtook her, my striding gait outpacing her erratic running style. We came to a halt above a small ridge that overlooked a stretched, snow-blanketed field dotted with fallen trees. _This should do... _I drew a long breath, scenting the scuttling rodents that bustled in their burrows. _Shrew, Weasel... Lemming! Perfect._

"What can you smell?" My sibling repeated the action, her eyes clouding with thoughtfulness.

"I think I can smell shrew, but it's deep underground. There's something else, kinda musty... like leaf-mould?"

"That's weasel. Remember that, they can be ferocious." I cautioned, envisioning the long, thin scars that patterned my ears and muzzle. I remember when I was only a pup, wandering out of camp in search of an adventure. Instead, all I found was a violent weasel mother spitting and hissing from a small tunnel under a gnarled pine tree. I didn't leave camp for ages after that.

"Oh. Okay."

"Anything else?" I pressed.

"Oh! Is it... Lemming?" Her eyes shone with laughter, and I'm sure in her human form she would have been grinning like a fool. _But I'll never see that... she died before she had a chance to- to blend in, to live. Even living amongst filthy humans is better than not living at all. _I had no idea what her human form would look like, and I longed to walk the paths of forests with her by my side, safe and content; not a care in the world.

"Right. Where is it?" She squinted, scanning the snow for any minute trails or traces of the rodent. Suddenly her gaze fixed on a small, moving patch of silver fur, zigzagging its way through the walls of firm set snow. I crouched, padding forwards; keeping to the upturned rocks and sparse patches of gorse. I swung my head round, catching the sincere gaze of my clueless sister.

"Wait here. I'll chase it round to you. Got it?" I focused my gaze back to the oblivious lemming, who was still scuffling through the roots of a fallen tree a dozen tail lengths away. We were downwind, hidden and in the perfect place for an ambush. I wanted to let my anxious sister try her skills, but I was afraid to relive the horror that this memory would surely lead to. I padded away, my back low and tail sweeping along the front encrusted ground. I stalked it until I was close enough to pounce, a few feet between me and my prey. But at the last second something startled it, and it raced away, its lithe body scampering on the surface of the snow with ease. I plundered after it, no wanting to lose it and return to camp empty-handed. I didn't want to disappoint my sister either; and out of the corner of my peripheral vision I saw her awestruck face watching closely, drinking in every move and decision I made. With a new fire burning in my veins I burst after it, racing side by side. I scooped out a forepaw, flipping it into the air and catching it squarely in my jaws. I bit down, crunching its spine in between my teeth. But my new energy was cut short as a gunshot rung through the valley, and I dropped my prey and turned to my sister in a wild frenzy. She was bounding towards me, and I could see she hadn't heard the gunshot, probably too caught up in her own speculations to even notice.

"Run!" I yelled. But to my dismay she ducked and buried her head in the snow. I ploughed through the snow; pushing through which suddenly seemed like I was trying to shift a mountain. As I reached her trembling form, I grabbed her scruff in my jaws and dragged her upright, staring into her fearful, wide rimmed eyes and growled under my breath.

"What-?"

"No time, let's go!" I headed for the dark, greyish forest that loomed silently beyond the innocent white fields. A forbidden forest, but not one I wasn't well accustomed to. I racked my brains, searching for a potential hiding place that would harbour my sister. I knew a few caves, but none would be dense enough to completely shelter her... _The abandoned badger set! _As we neared the forest, I could feel uneasiness and hesitation seeping from her pelt in waves. She paused at the border, but I rushed past her, calling for her to follow over my shoulder. I raced through the wavering pine trees, frantically looking left to right in search for the small clearing. I tripped on a tree root, tumbling forwards until I skidded to a stop on the dusty, dry earth. When I looked up I finally realised that I was in a small clearing, ringed by curled, shrivelled ferns. I spotted the badger set, but before I could inspect it my sister pushed into the clearing, regarding me with puzzled, wary stare.

"Get in." I ordered, every muscle beneath my pelt squirming with anticipation.

"What?!" She panted breathlessly. Thoughts flitted across her vision, until finally she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You've been here before, haven't you?"

"Yes." I replied. There was no sense in lying to her now, as she was bound to figure it out and cause further distrust towards me. To my surprise her expression changed to awe.

"But- why? It's forbidden, what in Paradise possessed you to come here?!" She exclaimed. I could see she was having difficulty deciding what emotion she could rely on in such an unorthodox situation.

"I came here because of the flowers." I sighed.

"What flo-" Her question was cut short by a screech close by. I saw fear flash in her eyes, and I tried to steady my heartbeat so I could concentrate on keeping her calm. She looked back to me, searching for reassurance in my steady gaze.

"Look I know you want answers. Right now I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?"

"Of course." She replied instantly, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Good. I'll make it simple. I came here because of the Lunar Flowers, you remember the legend? Anyway, I found a whole field of them, and they bloom every once a full moon. I wanted to protect them, I don't know why, but I heard this voice, telling me to watch over them..." I breathlessly explained.

"I don't-" She was interrupted again by a whistling object that spiralled past my eyes, inches away from my skull. I heard a yowl of pain from my sister and fury flared in my heart. I launched myself into the bushes, tumbling over with a human figure. I closed my teeth around their throat, crushing the windpipe with a single muscle twitch. When I stepped back I saw they were heavily armoured, jagged plates of dull, ivory coloured protection covered every inch of the body. Heavy gloves protected the hands and wrists, whereas clumsy boots reached just below the knee. A helmet with a thin, blacked-out visor covered the whole head, but where the chest plate finished and helmet began there was a gap, with exposed skin peeping through. Agonised whimpers reached my ears, and I remembered with a painful pang that my sister had been shot. But when I reached her I saw, to my horror, the blood was already soaking into a wide expanse circling her shuddering body. As I crouched desperately beside her, crimson clotted my coat and coated my cracked pads, but I didn't even notice.

"Brother..." I couldn't speak. I was watching my sister die, all over again. My heart was tearing itself apart, weeping and gushing, flooding my lungs so I couldn't breathe. I realised I couldn't control my movements anymore, playing out my part in the memory like an obedient puppet. _No! Don't do it! Don't you dare! _I howled silently, my anguish rattling inside the thorny barriers of my raging mind. Before I unsheathed my claws, I managed to choke out:

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me..." My voice grew stronger as I began to regain control of my body. _I can stop myself; I don't have to hurt her! _"And when we meet again, be it in Paradise or this cursed earth, I hope you can still call me your brother."

"What? Brother..." With an excruciating howl I raised my claws and slashed her shoulder. Her eyes filled with pain and shock, and then grew dull as the blood gushed from her wound. I stared at her corpse with blank horror, my breathing ceased altogether.

"No...No!" I raised my head and howled to the greying sky, the odious trees looming over me, watching as I sang my sadness and grief to the never-ending sky. _How _could _I? Again? _With a heavy heart I lowered my muzzle, staring at my sister for a few seconds before grasping her scruff in my teeth. I dragged her through the forest; avoiding the nettle clumps and thorn fortresses. By the time I made it to the field the moon had risen high in the sky, the Snowy Owls hooting melodiously in the still winter night. I pulled her through the silent silver flowers, nestling her atop the ridge; where the flowers bloomed brightest. A subtle wind ruffling my fur, although warm it made my muscles convulse in a violent shiver.

"I'm so sorry... I hope you can find peace in Paradise." I pressed my forehead against hers, before straightening up and walking away. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw the Lunar flowers glowing more brightly than I had ever seen them. Faint howling blew on the wind, of which had suddenly sprung up and was creating waves of silver in the field. The moon shone from behind the clouds, creating a ghostly mist that hovered like a pearly veil around my sister's body. To my shock and overwhelming happiness, she coughed and struggled to her feet. _My sister is alive! I didn't kill her! _

"Brother? Where are you?" I tried to answer, but my throat closed and the world began to fade. I looked down and saw my paws were translucent, slowly becoming feebler looking until they disappeared completely. The last thing I saw was my sister howling, distraught, into the broad, charcoal sky.


	9. Forever out of our Reach

I sat up instantly, my eyes wide with alarm. That dream was disturbing to say the least... but was it a dream? It felt all too real.

"Isn't that what I want? To see my sister alive again?" I muttered. I couldn't decide whether it was a dream, memory or vision. Either way, accepting these things are all flashes of the past, I shouldn't have been able to control anything; just relive it in each detail. I was overjoyed to think my sister _was _alive, but... what if I imagined it? What if I got my hopes up and found out she truly was dead? I growled, frustrated. I hated not knowing what I was doing. I smirked ruefully.

"I guess I know how the twins feel then." I turned back to the awakening city. Shops were opening, market stalls alighting with hollering merchants. Early customers hurriedly scoured the shops, wary of what the oncoming crowds would bring. Soon the whole town would be fully awake and scrutinizing the various shops wares, pickpockets weaving their way through the stinging hive. I watched indifferently as more people poured from their homes, not batting an eyelid when a fight broke out between two drunken workers. It wasn't even noon yet. As I scanned the crowds dully, looking for something to interest me, a sharp pair of sapphire eyes caught my own. Her hair was roughly tied in a high ponytail, her hair a beautiful golden-blonde. She wore a large grey hoodie over ripped jeans, muddy – formerly – white trainers. Somehow she still managed to look delicate and innocent, and she surveyed the crowd intensely; before purposely making her way to the inn where we were staying. My heart began to beat uncontrollably, and my stomach began to twist and turn uncomfortably. I got up to rush to the door, but stopped myself and inhaled deeply. _Straight face, straight face... _I thought; sitting back down on the window ledge. Seconds passed, turning into agonising minutes.

"Where is she?" I made my way to the door impatiently, pulling it open with an irritated force. I was met with surprised blue eyes and a raised fist, poised to knock on the door that was no longer there. A stone dropped in my stomach like a dead weight, and I frantically searched for something to say.

"You're here. Come in." I said impassively. She looked hurt for a second, and then slipped past me into the room. I kicked myself mentally, why couldn't I have just said 'Hello'? I followed her in, shutting the door, embarrassed.

"Autumn? What are you doing here?" Toboe slurred; his eyes bleary with sleep. He yawned, and I fought the urge to do so as well.

"I here to... discuss something with you two." Autumn hesitated. "It happened yesterday..."

"Yesterday? At the clinic?" Toboe asked curiously, wide awake now. I was too, intrigued. My hunch was it had something to do with the nurse, she seemed suspicious. That look that she gave us when she called us in... Was it, pity? Her wide brown eyes had certainly seemed to be regarding us with a sad perception.

"Yes. You see..." She sighed, shuffling her feet nervously on the threadbare carpet. Brushing her bangs from her face, irritated, she began her story. She recalled that after the doctor had departed hurriedly, the nurse had shocked them with her sudden declaration that wolf hunters resided within the cities walls. She then offered us more information on the subject by inviting them to an inn called the _Drunken Traveller_ and tell the innkeeper "silence is the key to long living,".

"That's weird." Toboe stated bluntly, his brows furrowed in clear confusion. Likewise, my mind was buzzing with this, although I tried to maintain my calm exterior. I didn't want to appear flustered in front of Toboe and... Autumn.

"Anything else?" I asked impassively, though internally I was yearning for more information. This had never happened in our previous... adventures. It was totally new, completely strange and highly unorthodox. She hummed in response, closing her eyes and folded her arms candidly. With a sigh, she shrugged and fleetingly met my gaze; before returning it to the windows sallow view outside. I was disappointed, but I brushed it away.

"Too bad." Toboe said cheerfully, attempting to lighten the mood in the stark way that he does. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head before making his way to the kitchen, pausing to call over his shoulder. "Do you want coffee, Autumn? Kiba?"

"Yes please. Thanks, Toboe." Autumn replied gratefully, a smile stretched on her face. I shook my head; I didn't much care for human drinks. The scent of caffeine made my stomach queasy, but I wasn't going to show it. Toboe bustled around in the kitchen for what seemed like forever, and an uneasy silence stretched across the room. I wanted to say something but... my mind was blank. As I searched for a topic of conversation, a faint melodic noise reached my ears. I turned toward it, and saw Autumn was leaning out of the window, humming delicately. The subtle wind ruffled her hair, and carried her voice out into the sky. My mind cleared, and I envisioned a silent field of Lunar flowers waving in the nights breath. All too soon the song ended, and Autumn closed the window, shivering. She caught my eye and her cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. She coughed nervously and looked away, and then she clapped her hands happily.

"I remembered! The woman said something about... umm, was it...? Jagara?" The sound of shattering pottery could be heard from the kitchen, and I bit back an angry growl. Toboe popped his head round the corner, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Silence dropped like a lead weight in the room.

"Sorry. Are you sure she said Jagara?"

"Umm, yes. I think so-"

"Are you certain?" I said, unprecedented anger tinting my tone.

"Of course!" Autumn spat back defensively, her eyes hurt. I was shocked; I hadn't meant it like that... I wasn't angry at her! "Who is she anyway? _I'd_ like to know what's going on! Summer isn't the only one getting pissed! Why can't you just tell us? Don't you trust us?" The girl cursed accusingly, her face set in rage. Toboe attempted to soften her anger, to no avail.

"Autumn! Calm down, please? We want to tell you, but-"

"But we aren't good enough? We can't understand, or we just don't belong?" Her voice quivered when she stated this, her façade of anger fading slightly. Instantly she regained control, pulling up her hood and making her way to the door. She swung it open, pausing momentarily.

"We're leaving at noon. See you around, that is, unless you make to Paradise." She strode through the door, slamming it so hard the windows rattled in their frames. I raced to the window, scanning the crowd until I saw her slim frame pushing through the crowd, disappearing down a dingy alley. Worry and guilt washed over me, bringing a feeling of nausea alongside it. I turned and met Toboe's golden stare. I blinked... it wasn't Toboe anymore... it was Cheza? Her crimson eyes were unreadable, but she didn't smile at me like she usually did.

"Kiba..."

"What's wrong Cheza? Are you-" I was interrupted by her stern reply.

"Kiba. The Gate to Paradise is slipping away. Are you going to let it go without fighting for your freedom?" With that she faded, and the vision died; revealing an empty room. The realisations that _I_ may have lost our best chance to get to Paradise made my heart stop.

"Will Paradise be forever out of our reach?"


End file.
